H      t 

4 


1 


LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 


PRESENTED  BY 


ROBERT   L.    CASHMAN 


(THE    PROPHET    JOEL 


AN     EXPOSITION 


BY 

A.  C.  GAEBELBIN 


• 


Editor  "OUR  HOPE";   Author  of  "HARMONY  OF  THE 
PROPHETIC  WORD,"  "COMMENTARY  ON 
MATTHEW,"  Etc. 


FOREWORD  BY  C.  I.  SCOFIELD 


PUBLICATION  OFFICE  "OUR  HOPE" 

456  FOURTH  AVENUE 

NEW  YORK;CITY 

PICKERING  &  INGUS  N.  W.  BIBLE  AND  TRACT 

1 1  Bothwell  Circui  DEPOT 

GLASGOW.  SCOTLAND  WINNIPEG.  MAN. 


Copyright.  April.  1909, 

by 
A.C.  Gaebekm 


Printing  by 

Franeii  Emory  Fitch 

of  New  York 


FOREWORD 

Of  all  the  prophetic  writings  the  Book  of  Joel 
has,  perhaps,  suffered  most  at  the  hands  of  mod- 
ern writers.  The  destructive  critics  assert  that 
Joel  wrote  after  the  Babylonian  captivity  of  Ju- 
dah,  and  even  after  the  reconstructive  work  of 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  In  Joel  as  in  Daniel  they 
confront  the  alternative,  either  of  allowing  the 
predictive  and  therefore  supernatural  character 
of  the  book  as  a  Divine  revelation  of  the  future, 
or  of  finding  a  naturalistic  interpretation  which 
eliminates  inspiration.  If  Joel  wrote  in  the  time 
of  Joash,  then,  incontestably,  he  was  inspired. 
But  that,  to  quote  Welhausen,  "Would  be  to  sur- 
render our  dearly  bought  scientific  method."  To 
preserve  the  "method"  the  unanimous  voice  of 
antiquity,  of  Jewish  scholarship,  and  of  the  most 
cogent  internal  evidence,  are  ruthlessly  set  aside ! 

But  Joel  has  not  only  suffered  in  the  house  of 
his  enemies,  but  also  in  the  house  of  his  well- 
intentioned  friends.  The  method  of  interpreta- 
tion which  finds  in  the  Christian  Church  the  ful- 
filment of  all  Old  Testament  prophecy  concern- 


ii  FOREWORD. 

ing  Messiah's  Kingdom ;  and  in  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  70,  the  fulfilment  of  all  proph- 
ecies concerning  the  day  of  Jehovah,  has  robbed 
the  Book  of  Joel  of  its  proper,  natural,  and  un- 
forced meaning. 

It  is,  therefore,  matter  for  sincere  gratitude  that 
in  our  day  a  writer  whose  knowledge  of  the  whole 
body  of  predictive  truth,  and  its  inter-relations, 
has  taken  up  this  great  portion  of  the  Word  of 
God  for  sane,  reverent  and  adequate  treatment. 
Having  had  the  privilege  of  reading  the  advance 
sheets  of  this  book,  I  count  it  a  privilege  to  com- 
mend it  to  believers  everywhere,  and  an  honor 
to  be  thus  associated  with  its  publication. 

C.  I.  SCOFIELD. 


TO  THE 

"BELOVED  OF   GOO.  CALLED  SAINTS." 

A 

RRESPECTIVE  of  their  creeds  or  names, 
especially  to  those  who  patiently  "wait 
for  His  Son  from  heaven,"  and  "who 
love  His  appearing,"  the  Heirs  of  glory  and 
fellow  heirs  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  coming 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  this  Exposition 
of  the  Prophet  Joel  is  affectionately  dedicated. 


THE  PROPHET  JOEL. 

INTRODUCTION. 

We  know  but  little  of  the  personality  of  the 
Prophet  Joel.  This  is  the  case  with  many  of  the 
prophets  and  is  in  itself  no  argument  against  the 
authenticity  of  the  Book.  The  personality  of 
these  holy  men  of  God,  the  mouthpieces  of  the 
Lord,  were  hidden  on  purpose.  In  profane  litera- 
ture the  person  of  the  writer  always  plays  an  im- 
portant part;  but  in  the  Word  of  God  they  are 
but  instruments  by  whom  God  transmitted  His 
thoughts  and  messages.  What  does  it  matter 
if  we  do  not  know  the  details  of  their  lives,  who 
they  were  and  how  long  they  lived,  as  long  as 
we  know  they  were  the  chosen  vessels  through 
whom  God  spake  (Heb.  i:i). 

Joel  means  "Jenovah  js  God."  He  was  the  son 
of  Pethuel.  This  is  all  we  can  find  about  him  in 
the  Bible.  Numerous  guesses  have  been  made 
about  his  personality,  but  they  cannot  be  verified. 
For  instance,  in  I  Chronicles  xxiv:i6  we  find  a 
Pethaliah  mentioned;  some  have  connected  him 


4  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

with  Pethuel,  so  it  is  claimed  that  Joel  was 
of  a  priestly  family;  but  this  cannot  be  con- 
firmed. Jewish  expositors  state  that  Pethuel 
was  none  other  than  Samuel,  because  Samuel  had 
a  son  whose  name  was  Joel.  But  as  the  sons  of 
Samuel  were  evil  doers,  it  is  quite  impossible  to 
accept  this  view.  The  book  itself  does  not  give 
us  even  a  single  hint  as  to  who  he  was. 

However,  from  his  prophecies  one  can  fix  more 
readily  the  time  and  the  place,  when  and  where 
he  exercised  his  prophetic  office.  He  is,  no  doubt, 
the  earliest  of  all  the  Prophets,  preceding  Hosea 
and  Amos.  He  prophesied  in  Judah.  This  is  seen 
from  the  fact  that  he  mentions  Jerusalem,  Mount 
Zion  and  the  Temple.  He  must  have  prophesied 
and  written  between  860  and  850  B.  C.  during  the 
first  part  of  the  reign  of  King  Joas.  The  argu- 
ments for  this  time  are  numerous.  Without  at- 
tempting to  enumerate  these  we  take  a  brief 
glance  at  the  book  itself,  which  bears  the  name  of 
Joel.* 

There  is  absolutely  no  ground  for  the  claim, 
which  has  been  made  that  Joel  did  not  write  this 
Book.  The  evidence  is  altogether  on  the  other 
side  that  he  wrote  down  what  the  Lord  revealed 
to  him.  The  style  of  the  Book  is  sublime ;  it  can 

*  See  Appendix  A. 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

only  be  fully  appreciated  if  read  in  a  corrected 
metric  version  and  at  one  time.  The  oftener  the 
entire  book  is  thus  read  the  more  it  will  grow  on 
the  reader,  by  its  vividness,  terse  and  solemn 
utterances,  its  full,  smooth  phrases,  and  above  all, 
by  the  revelation  contained  in  these  few  chapters. 
The  occasion  of  the  book  and  the  prophecy 
of  Joel  was  an  awful  scourge  which  had  come 
upon  the  land  of  Judah.  Locusts  had  fallen  upon 
the  land  and  stripped  it  of  everything.  In  connec- 
tion with  the  locusts  there  was  also  a  drought. 
This  was  a  chastisement  from  God.  All  are  seen 
lamenting,  the  old  and  the  young,  the  priests  and 
the  people.  Extremely  vivid  is  the  description  of 
the  devastation  of  the  land.  Then  the  vision 
widens.  The  locusts  appear  no  longer  as  a 
scourge  of  insects,  but  they  become  typical  of  an 
invading  army.  An  army  presses  upon  the  land 
from  the  north.  They  make  the  land  once  more  a 
wilderness.  The  alarm  is  sounded  in  Zion  and 
the  nearness  of  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  announced. 
In  the  hour  of  extremity  the  call  comes  to  repen- 
tance. Then  comes  a  marvellous  turning  point  in 
the  picture  of  despair  and  trouble.  The  Lord  is 
jealous  and  pities  His  people.  He  delivers  them 
from  the  northern  army;  He  restores  what  the 
locusts  had  eaten ;  He  gives  the  land  the  former 


6  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

and  the  latter  rain,  and  with  it  wheat  and  wine 
and  oil.  At  the  end  of  the  second  chapter  stands 
the  prophecy  predicting  spiritual  blessings 
through  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon 
all  flesh,  a  prophecy  which  by  no  means  has  ever 
had  its  complete  fulfilment,  but  which  shall  be 
fully  accomplished  in  a  future  day.  The  last  chap- 
ter is  the  solemn  and  sublime  Finale  of  this  great 
symphony  of  Prophecy.  The  day  of  Jehovah 
coming  in  judgment,  wrath  and  mercy,  as  well  as 
the  events  connected  with  it,  is  here  portrayed. 
All  this  is  so  vividly  described,  that  it  opens  up 
a  most  wonderful  vista  into  the  future.  Only  a 
closer,  analytical  study  can  bring  out  the  treas- 
ures, which  God's  Spirit  has  here  deposited  in  this 
prophetic  Book.  On  the  language  and  descrip- 
tions as  used  and  given  by  Joel  a  German  exposi- 
tor* says:  "His  poetry  is  distinguished  by  the 
soaring  flight  of  imagination,  the  originality, 
beauty  and  variety  of  his  images  and  similes.  The 
conceptions  are  simple  enough,  but  they  are  at 
the  same  time  bold  and  grand.  The  perfect  order 
in  which  they  are  arranged,  the  even  flow  and 
well  compacted  structure  of  the  discourse  are 
quite  remarkable." 

Five  times  Joel's  prophecy  contains  the  phrase 

*A  Wiinsche,  Die  Weissagungen,  Joel's. 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

"the  day  of  Jehovah."  Chapter  i:i5;  ii:i-2;  ion; 
30-31  and  iii:i5-i6.  The  great  subject  matter  of 
his  prophetic  messages  is  therefore  "the  day  of 
Jehovah,"  the  day  in  which  Jehovah  is  "God"  that 
is  "Jehovah"  will  be  manifested  as  God.  This  is 
indicated  in  Joel's  name.  He  may  well  be  called 
"the  seer  of  the  Day  of  Jehovah."  What  that 
day  is,  what  will  take  place  before  the  day  comes, 
and  after  it  has  come,  the  exposition  of  the  text 
will  make  clear. 

We  cannot  improve  upon  the  division  of  the 
Book  as  given  in  our  English  version.  The  Book 
has  three  parts : 

I  Part.    Chapter  I.  The  local  plague  of  locusts. 

II  Part.    Chapter  II.    The  day  of  Jehovah  with 
its  preceding  calamities  for  Israel's  land;  the  re- 
pentance of  His  people ;  the  restoration  of  their 
land  and  the  greater  Spiritual  blessings. 

III  Part.    Chapter  III.    Events  connected  with 
that  day;  the  judgment  of  the  enemies  of  Israel; 
the  supremacy  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Kingdom. 


THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

CHAPTER  I. 

1.  The  Word  of  Jehovah  which  came  to  Joel  the  Son 

of  Pethuel. 

2.  Hear  this,  ye   aged   men 

And  open  the  ear  ye  inhabitants  of  the  land! 
Hath  this  happened  in  your  days, 
Or  even  in  the  days  of  your  fathers? 

3.  Relate  it  to  your  children 

And  your  children  to  their  children, 
And  their  children  to  another  generation. 

4.  What  the  Gasam*  left,  the  Arbeh  hath  devoured 
And  what  the  Arbeh  left,  the  Jclek  hath  devoured 
And  what  the  Jelek  left,  the  Chasel  hatli  devoured. 

5.  Awake,  ye  drunkards  and  weep! 
And  howl  all  ye  drinkers  of  wine 
Because  of  the  sweet  wine, 

For  it  is  taken  away  from  your  mouth. 

6.  For  a  nation  has  come  up  upon  my  land 
Mighty  and  without  number — 

His  teeth — lion's  teeth 

The  jaw  teeth,  that  of  a  lioness. 

7.  He  hath  made  my  vine  for  a  desolation 
And  my  figtree  broken  off; 

Peeled  off  completely  and  cast  it  away; 


*We  left  these  four  words  untranslated   for  reasons 
which  will  be  given  in  the  exposition. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL.  9 

Its  branches  are  made  white. 

8.  Lament  like  a  virgin! 

Girded  with  sackcloth  for  the  husband  of  her  youth. 

9.  Cut  off  is  the  meat  and  drink  offering  from  the  house 

of  Jehovah. 
The  priests  mourn,  the  servants  of  Jehovah. 

10.  "Wasted  is  the  field 
Mourning  is  the  land — 
For  wasted  is  the  corn 
The  new  wine  is  dried  up 
The  oil  faileth." 

11.  Be  ashamed,  husbandmen! 
Howl — vine  dressers ! 

For  the  wheat  and  the  barley. 
Because  the  harvest  of  the  field  is  lost. 

12.  The  vine  is  dried  up 
And  the  figtree  faileth 

The  pomegranate,  also  the  palm  and  the  apple  tree. 
All  the  trees  of  the  field  are  withered. 
Gone  is  joy  from  the  children  of  men. 

13.  Gird  yourselves  and  lament,  O  ye  priests, 
Howl,  ministers  of  the  altar; 

Come  lie  down  in  sackcloth  all  night 

Ye  ministers  of  my  God. 

For  withholden  from  the  house  of  your  God 

Are  the  meat  offering  and  the  drink  offering. 

14.  Sanctify  a  fast. 

Call  a  solemn  gathering. 
Bring  together  the  Elders 
All  the  inhabitants  of  the  land 
In  the  house  of  Jehovah  your  God 
And  cry  unto  Jehovah. 


io  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

15.  Woe!  For  the  Day! 

Because  near  is  the  day  of  Jehovah 

Even  like  destruction  from  Shaddai*  it  comes. 

16.  Is  not  the  food  cut  off  before  our  eyes? 
From  the  house  of  our  God  joy  and  gladness. 

17.  The  seeds  have  perished  under  their  clods. 
The  garners  become  desolate 

The  storehouses  are  broken  down 
For  withered  is  the  corn. 

18.  Hear  the  cattle  groan! 

The  herds  of  cattle  are  bewildered, 

For  there  is  no  feeding  place  for  them. 

Also  the  flocks  of  sheep  are  made  to  suffer.f 

19.  To  Thee  Jehovah,  I  cry 

For  the  fire  has  consumed  the  goodly  places  of  the 

desert 
And  a  flame  hath  burned  all  the  trees  of  the  field. 

20.  Also  the  cattle  of  the  field  look  up$  unto  Thee 
For  the  streams  of  water  are  dried  up, 

And  a  fire  hath  consumed  the  goodly  places  of  the 
desert. 


*The  only  time  Shaddai  (Almighty)  is  used  in  Jo<;l. 
In  the  Hebrew  there  is  a  resemblance  of  sound  between 
"destruction"  and  "Shaddai." 

fThe  Hebrew  word,  which  we  translate  "made  to 
suffer"  means  in  its  root  "to  be  guilty."  The  form  of 
the  verb  used  here  would  best  be  translated  by  the 
German  "bussen." 

JAnother  word  different  from  the  ipth  verse  is  used, 
though  nearly  all  translators  use  "cry."  It  is  more  a 
groaning,  desirous  looking  up. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL.  11 

CHAPTER  II. 

1.  Blow  the  trumpet  in  Zion 

Sound  an  alarm  in  the  mount  of  my  holiness. 
Let  all  the  dwellers  of  the  land  tremble, 
For  the  day  of  Jehovah  cometh, 
For  it  is  near  at  hand. 

2.  A  day  of  darkness  and  gloom 

A  day  of  clouds  and  thick  darkness 

Like  the  dawn  spread  upon  the  mountains; — 

A  people  numerous  and  strong! 

Never  hath  there  been  the  like  before, 

Neither  shall  the  like  come  again, 

In  the  years  of  many  generations. 

3.  A  fire  devoureth  before  them, 
And  behind  them  a  flame  burneth; 

Before  them  the  land  is  as  the  garden  of  Eden, 
And  behind  them  a  desolate  wilderness, 
Yea,  and  nothing  can  escape  them. 

4.  Their  appearance  is  like  the  appearance  of  horses, 
And  like  the  horsemen  shall  they  run. 

5.  Like  the  noise  of  chariots, 

On  the  mountain  tops,  they  shall  leap, 

Like  the  crackling  of  a  flame  of  fire  devouring  the 

stubble, 
Like  a  strong  people  set  in  battle  array. 

6.  Before  them  the  peoples  are  in  distress 
All  faces  turn  to  paleness. 

7.  They  run  like  mighty  men 

They  climb  the  wall  like  men  of  war; 
And  they  march  each  one  in  his  ways, 
And  they  turn  not  aside  from  their  ranks. 


12  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

8.  Xor  doth  one  press  upon  another 

A  mighty  one*  marches  in  the  highroad. 
They  fall  upon  the  dart,  but  are  not  wounded. 

9.  They  spread  themselves  in  the  city, 
They  run  along  upon  the  wall, 
They  climb  up  into  the  houses, 

They  enter  in  by  the  windows  like  a  thief. 

10.  The  earth  trembleth  before  them, 
The  heavens  shake, 

The  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened, 
And  the  stars  withdraw  their  shining. 

11.  And  Jehovah  uttereth  His  voice  before  his  army 
For  very  great  is  His  host, 

For  He  that  executeth  His  Word  is  mighty; 
For  great  is  the  day  of  Jehovah  and  very  terrible 
And  who  can  stand  it? 

12.  Yet  even  now,  saith  Jehovah, 
Return  unto  me  with  all  your  heart 

With  fasting  and  with  weeping  and  with  mourning. 

13.  And  rend  your  heart  and  not  your  garments, 
And  return  unto  Jehovah  your  God 

For  He  is  gracious  and  merciful, 

Slow  to  anger  and  of  great  loving  kindness 

And  repenteth  Him  of  the  evil. 

14.  Who  knoweth  He  may  return  and  repent 
And  leave  a  blessing  behind, 

An  oblation  and  a  drink  offering 
For  Jehovah  your  God. 

15.  Blow  the  trumpet  in  Zion, 
Sanctify  a  fast. 


This  is  the  literal  meaning 


THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL.  13 

16.  Call  out  a  solemn  assembly, 
Gather  the  people. 
Sanctify  a  congregation. 
Assemble  the  old  men. 
Gather  the  children, 

And  those  that  suck  the  breasts; 
Let  the  bridegroom  leave  his  chamber 
And  the  bride  her  closet; 

17.  Let  the  priests  the  ministers  of  Jehovah 
Weep  between  the  porch  and  the  altar, 
And  let  them  say: — 

"Spare  Thy  people,  O  Jehovah 
And  give  not  thine  heritage  to  reproach 
That  the  nations  should  rule  over  them* 
Wherefore  should  they  say  among  the  peoples 
Where  is  their  God?" 

18.  Then  Jehovah  will  be  jealous  for  His  land, 
And  will  have  pity  on  His  people. 

19.  And  Jehovah  will  answer  and  say  to  His  people: 
Behold  I  am  sending  to  you  the  corn, 

The  new  wine  and  the  oil; 
And  ye  shall  be  satisfied  therewith, 
And  I  will  no  longer  make  you 
For  a  reproach  among  the  nations. 

20.  And  I  will  remove  afar  from  you  the  One  from  the 

North 

And  will  drive  him  into  a  dry  and  desolate  land, 
His  face  toward  the  Eastern  sea 
His  rear  toward  the  Western  sea 
And  his  stench  shall  arise 

*0r,  "they  that  should  be  a  by  word  of  the  nations." 


i4  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

And  his  ill  odour  shall  ascend, 

For  he  hath  lifted  himself  up  to  do  great  things. 

21.  Fear  not,  O  Land 
Be  glad  and  rejoice, 

For  Jehovah  doeth  great  things. 

22.  Fear  not,  ye  beasts  of  the  field! 

For  the  pastures  of  the  desert  spring  forth 

The  tree  beareth  her  fruit 

The  fig  tree  and  the  vine  give  their  strength. 

23.  Ye  children  of  Zion,  be  glad  and  rejoice 
In  Jehovah  your  God; 

For  He  giveth  you  the  early  rain  in  righteousness, 
He  causeth  to  descend  for  you  the  showers 
The  early  and  the  latter  rain  as  before. 

24.  And  the  floors  shall  be  full  of  corn, 

And  the  vats  shall  overflow  with  new  wine  and  oil. 

25.  And  I  will  restore  to  you  the  years, 
Which  the  Arbeh  hath  eaten. 

"The  Jelek,  the  Chasel  and  the  Gazam, 
My  great  army,  which  I  sent  among  you. 

26.  Then  ye  shall  be  in  abundance,  and  be  satisfied 
And  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah  your  God, 
Who  has  dealt  wondrously  with  you, 

And  my  people  shall  never  be  ashamed. 

27.  And  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  the  midst  of  Israel, 
And  that  I  Jehovah  am  your  God,  and  none  else. 
And  my  people  shall  never  be  ashamed. 

28.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterwards, 

I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh, 
And  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy; 
Your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams, 
Your  young  men  shall  see  visions. 


THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL.  15 

29.  Y«a,   even    upon    the   men    servants   and   the   maid 

servants, 
In  thos«  days  will  I  pour  out  my  Spirit. 

30.  And    I    will   give    wonders    in    the    heavens    and    on 

earth, 
Blood,  and  fire  and  pillars  of  smoke. 

31.  The  sun  shall  be  turned  to  darkness, 
And  the  moon  into  blood, 

Before  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  Jehovah  come. 
3«.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass 

Whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  Jehovah  shall 
be  saved. 

For  in  Mount  Zion  and  in  Jerusalem  shall  be  deliv- 
erance, 

As  Jthovah  hath  said, 

Bven  for  the  remnant  whom  Jehovah  shall  call. 


CHAPTER  III. 

1.  F«r  b«h«ld  in  those  days  and  in  that  time, 

When  I  shall  bring  back  the  captivity  of  Judah  and 
Jerusalem; 

2.  I  will  also  bring  together  all  nations, 

And  will  bring  them  down  into  the  valley  of  Je- 

hoshaphat; 
And   there   will    I   judge    them   on   account   of   my 

people, 
And  my  heritage  Israel,  whom  they  have  scattered 

among  the  nations, 
And  they  divided  my  land. 

3.  And  they  cast  lots  for  my  people, 


16  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

They  gave  a  boy  for  a  harlot, 

And  sold  a  girl  for  wine,  and  drank  it. 

4.  Yea  also,  what  have  ye  to  do  with  me,  O  Tyre  and 

Sidon, 

And  all  the  borders  of  Philistia? 
Would  you  requite  me  with  retaliation, 
If  you  retaliate 

Swiftly  and  speedily  will  I  bring  your  recompense 
Upon  your  own  head. 

5.  Because  ye  have  taken  my  silver  and  gold, 

And  have  brought  into  your  temples  my  very  best 
things. 

6.  And  the  children  of  Judah  and  of  Jerusalem, 
Ye  sold  to  the  children  of  the  Greeks, 

That  ye  might  remove  them  far  from  their  border. 

7.  Behold  I  will  raise  them  up  out  of  the  place  whither 

ye  sold  them, 

And   I   will  return  the   retaliation   upon  your   own 
head. 

8.  And  I  will  sell  your  sons  and  your  daughters 
Into  the  hands  of  the  sons  of  Judah. 

And  they  shall  sell  them  to  the  Sabeans  to  a  far  off 

nation. 
For  Jehovah  hath  spoken  it. 

9.  Proclaim  this  among  the  nations: 
Declare  a  war! 

Arouse  the  mighty  ones ! 

Let  all  the  men  of  war  draw  near,  let  them  come  up ! 
10.  Beat  your  ploughshares  into  swords, 
And  your  pruning  hooks  into  spears. 
Let  the  weak  say,  I  am  strong. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL.  17 

11.  Come  together, 

All  ye  nations  round  about 

Gather  yourselves  together. 

Thither  cause  thy  mighty  ones  to  come  down 

O,  Jehovah! 

12.  Let  the  nations  arise  and  come  up 
To  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat 

For  there  will  I  sit  to  judge  all  the  nations   round 
about. 

13.  Put  in  the  sickle, 

For  the  harvest  is  ripe; 

Come — Tread ! 

For  the  wine-press  is  full, 

The  vats  overflow; 

For  their  wickedness  is  great. 

14.  Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the  valley  of  decision ! 
For  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  at  hand  in  the  valley  of 

decision. 

15.  The  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened 
And  the  stars  withdraw  their  shining. 

16.  And  Jehovah  shall  roar  from  Zion, 

And  send  forth  His  voice  from  Jerusalem; 
And  the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall  shake; 
But  Jehovah  will  be  a  refuge  for  His  people 
And  a  fortress  for  the  sons  of  Israel. 

17.  And  ye  shall  know  that  I,  Jehovah  your  God, 
Dwell  in  Zion  my  holy  mountain; 

And  Jerusalem  shall  be  holy, 

And  strangers  shall  no  more  pass  through  her. 

18.  And  ft  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day 

That  the  mountains  shall  drop  down  new  wine, 
And  the  hills  shall  flow  with  milk, 


i8  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

And  all  the  river  beds  of  Judah  shall  be  fuH  with 

waters, 
And  a  fountain  shall  come  forth  from  tkt  kouse  »f 

Jehovah, 
And  shall  water  the  valley  of  Shittiin. 

19.  Egypt  shall  be  a  desolation 

And  Edom  shall  be  a  desolate  wilderness. 

For  their  violence  against  the  children  of  Judah, 

Because  they  shed  innocent  blood  in  their  land. 

20.  But  Judah  shall  abide  forever. 

And  Jerusalem  from  generation  to  generation. 

21.  And  1'  will  purge  them  from  the  blood 
From  which  I  had  not  purged  them. 
And  Jehovah  will  dwell  in  Zion. 


THE    EXPOSITION. 

After  the  reading  of  these  three  chapters,  which 
contain  the  Word  of  Jehovah,  as  it  came  to  Joel, 
the  son  of  Pethuel,  one  is  deeply  impressed  with 
the  grandeur  and  solemnity  of  these  revelations. 
At  the  same  time  it  seems  strange  that  so  few  of 
God's  people  read  and  prayerfully  study  these 
great  prophetic  visions.  Of  all  generations  we 
are  the  most  privileged,  living  in  these  significant 
days,  standing  on  the  threshold  of  the  fulfil- 
ment of  these  predictions.  We  behold  in  our 
day  how  everything  is  shaping  for  the  great 
events  with  which  this  present  age  will  close. 
The  study  of  the  sublime,  God-breathed  utter- 
ances of  Joel  is  indeed  of  great  value  and  help  to 
those  who  truly  "wait  for  His  Son  from  heaven." 
Prophecy  concerning  things  to  come  is  that  por- 
tion of  the  Bible,  which  reveals  the  triumph  and 
glory  of  our  blessed  Lord.  In  it  we  may  well  read 
all  which  concerns  us,  for  we  are  His  fel- 


ao  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

low  heirs.  We  shall  also  by  a  continued  study  of 
God's  revealed  purposes  concerning  Israel  and 
the  nations  be  kept  from  many  snares,  which  are 
ever  multiplying  in  these  perilous  times. 

In  order  to  get  the  correct  knowledge  of  the 
Book  of  Joel  it  must  be  studied  with  the  help  of 
other  prophecies  given  by  the  Spirit  of  God  at 
other  times  and  through  different  instruments. 
In  studying  prophecy,  Scripture  must  be  com- 
pared with  Scripture.  This  is  clearly  stated  in 
2  Peter  i  120-21 :  "This  first  understanding,  That 
no  prophecy  of  Scripture  becomes  self-solving; 
for  not  by  will  of  man  was  prophecy  brought  in 
at  any  time ;  but,  as  by  the  Holy  Spirit  they  were 
being  borne  along,  spake  holy  men  of  God" 
(Rotherham).  Or  as  John  N.  Darby  translates 
it:  "Knowing  this  first,  that  the  scope  of  no 
prophecy  of  Scripture  is  had  from  its  own  par- 
ticular interpretation,  for  prophecy  was  not  even 
uttered  by  the  will  of  man,  but  holy  men  of  God 
spake  under  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  The 
same  Spirit  spoke  in  each  Prophet,  revealing 
God's  purposes  concerning  the  future,  confirming 
His  previous  testimony  and  adding  new  revela- 
tions. 

As  Joel  is  the  earliest  of  God's  Prophets,  the 
Holy  Spirit  revealed  through  him,  so  to  speak,  in 


THE  EXPOSITION.  21 

a  nutshell,  the  great  facts  concerning  the  day  of 
the  Lord,  its  preceding  and  succeeding  events. 
The  subsequent  Prophets  did  not  copy  from  him, 
but  the  Holy  Spirit  unfolds  the  great  theme. 

And  now  we  turn  to  the  text  itself  and  give  an 
exposition  of  what  God  revealed  through  Joel. 

The  important  question  is  the  question  con- 
cerning the  locusts.  The  prominence  of  the  lo- 
custs, their  dreadful  work,  as  pictured  in  the  first 
chapter,  and  their  second  mention  in  the  second 
chapter  is  evident  to  all  readers  of  this  prophet. 
Only  in  the  third  chapter  the  locusts  are  not  men- 
tioned. It  is  therefore  an  important  question 
what  these  locusts  mean.  Are  they  simply  the 
scourge,  which  at  stated  times  devastate  oriental 
countries?  Did  such  a  scourge  come  upon 
Israel's  land  in  the  day  of  Joel,  or  was  it  a 
prophecy  about  the  future?  Are  the  locusts  sym- 
bolical? Are  they  the  type  of  the  Assyrian 
invasion?  These  are  a  few  of  the- questions  with 
which  the  numerous  expositors  of  this  book  have 
wrestled.  We  have  examined  some  of  the  leading 
expositions  of  this  prophet;  some  of  them  were 
written  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  century.  In  mod- 
ern days  during  the  last  hundred  years  not  a  few 
attempts  have  been  made  to  interpret  the  book  of 
Joel.  It  would  be  intensely  interesting  to  write  a 


22  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

history  of  the  interpretation  of  Joel  and  to  point 
out  the  different  views  which  have  been  expressed 
by  the  Greek  and  Latin  "church  fathers"  as 
well  as  by  the  reformers,  such  as  Calvin  and 
Luther,  and  the  expositors  of  the  eighteenth 
and  nineteenth  centuries.  However,  this  would 
hardly  help  us  in  understanding  this  book.  Most 
of  the  expositions  we  have  seen  in  different  lan- 
guages are  given  to  spiritualizing.  Thus  one  of 
the  oldest  expositors  explains  chapter  ii  -.24 :  "the 
corn,  the  wine  and  the  oil,"  as  being  fulfilled  in 
the  church.  The  corn  he  applies  to  the  body  of 
Christ,  the  wine  to  the  blood  and  the  oil  as  being 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Nearly  all  of  them  fail,  on  ac- 
count of  their  ignorance  of  dispensational  truths 
not  distinguishing  between  Israel  and  the  Church, 
while  others,  who  Rave  some  light  in  this  direc- 
tion, break  down  in  some  other  way  or  are  fan- 
ciful in  their  application.  The  Jewish  expositors, 
however,  are  far  more  satisfactory.  They  at  least 
adhere  to  the  literal  meaning.  Some  of  the  oldest 
see  in  the  locusts  the  types  of  the  nations  which 
have  preyed  upon  the  land.  The  invasion  of  the 
land  by  a  hostile  army,  as  described  in  the  second 
chapter,  is  interpreted  by  some  of  these  ancient 
writers  as  being  the  invasion  of  Gog  and  Magog. 
Several  Jewish  interpreters  of  Joel  declare  that 


THE  EXPOSITION.  23 

the  whole  book  is  descriptive  of  the  days  of  the 
Messiah.  By  this  they  mean  the  glorious  mani- 
festation of  the  Messiah  as  King  for  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Kingdom,  the  deliverance  of  his 
earthly  people  and  the  punishment  of  their  ene- 
mies. 

Our  conception  of  the  locusts  is  that  they  were 
in  the  first  instance  literal  locusts.  At  the  time 
the  Word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Joel  the  land  of 
Judah  was  fearfully  devastated  by  the  dread  lo- 
cust plague.  They  had  covered  the  entire  land 
and  nothing  had  escaped  them.  A  great  drouth 
followed ;  human  beings  and  all  creation  suf- 
fered in  a  terrible  way.  Through  the  locusts  even 
the  sacrifices  and  the  temple  worship  had  become 
an  impossibility.  This  literal  locust  plague  is  the 
foundation  fact  and  starting  point  of  the  prophecy 
of  Joel.  Its  description  is  confined  to  the  first 
chapter. 

But  is  this  the  sole  object  of  the  first  chapter  to 
describe  the  oft  occurring  locust  invasions  and  to 
portray  vividly  the  work  of  destruction  wrought 
by  these  powerful  insects?  Are  we  to  look  for 
nothing  but  a  description  of  what  happened  then 
and  nothing  else?  If  the  first  chapter  in  our 
prophet  had  no  further  meaning  than  the  descrip- 
tion of  what  the  literal  locusts  did  in  Israel's  land, 


24  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

we  could  then  hardly  look  upon  it  as  the  Word  of 
God.  It  would  rank  indeed  as  one  of  the  finest 
literary  products  in  any  language,  but  the  Word 
of  God  with  a  message  deeper  than  a  mere  lit- 
erary description,  we  could  not  call  it.  However, 
the  magnificent  picture  of  the  then  present  locust 
plague  and  the  havoc  they  produced,  has  a  deeper, 
a  spiritual  and  prophetic  meaning. 

The  literal  locusts  and  what  they  did  to  the 
land  are  prophetically  typical  of  the  different 
world  powers  which  have  preyed  and  are  still 
permitted  to  prey  upon  the  land,  which  God  has 
given  to  His  earthly  people.  The  first  chapter 
therefore  becomes  a  great  prophecy  concerning 
the  condition  of  the  land  of  Israel  during  the 
times  of  the  Gentiles  and  up  to  the  time  when 
the  Day  of  the  Lord  begins.  This  day  is  men- 
tioned by  the  Prophet  in  this  first  chapter  (verse 
15).  It  confirms  fully  our  interpretation  that  the 
chapter  has  a  great  prophetic  application  and 
directs  us  to  the  future  day  of  Jehovah.  Our 
exposition,  taking  up  each  verse,  will  bring  this 
out  more  fully. 

In  the  second  chapter  the  locusts  are  mentioned 
again,  however,  not  in  the  first  part,  but  only 
in  the  second  part,  where  the  promise  of  restora- 


THE  EXPOSITION.  25 

tion  is  found,  that  the  evil,  which  the  locusts 
have  done  should  be  repaired. 

In  the  first  part  of  this  second  chapter  we 
find  first  of  all  the  day  of  the  Lord  announced  and 
then  there  follows  a  description  of  an  invad- 
ing army,  which  comes  from  the  North.  It  is 
strange  that  some  of  the  most  learned  exposi- 
tors hold  that  this  entire  description  still  refers 
to  the  literal  locusts,  when  the  word  locust  is  not 
at  all  mentioned.  It  is  quite  true  the  imagery 
is  taken  from  a  mighty  locust  swarm,  but  there 
is  absolutely  no  reason  why  literal  locusts  should 
be  meant  here.  Literal  locusts  are  before  us  in 
the  first  instance  in  the  opening  chapter,  typi- 
fying nations,  and  here  in  the  second  chapter  it  is 
a  prophecy  about  an  invading  host,  which  swarms 
over  the  land  in  immense  numbers  working  great 
destruction  like  the  literal  locusts. 

We  do  not  doubt  that  partially  the  prophecy 
was  fulfilled  in  the  Assyrian  invasion,  but  the 
final  great  fulfilment  is  a  matter  of  the  future. 
Such  an  invasion  as  described  here  will  come  at 
the  end  of  this  age.  A  part  of  the  nation  must  be 
restored  to  the  land  and  once  more  the  trumpets 
are  sounded  as  of  old.  After  the  description  of 
this  last  great  invasion  of  the  land  we  find  the 
Lord's  interference  and  how  Israel's  land  is  re- 


36  THE  BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

stored,    the    nation    blest    and    the    Holy    Spirit 
poured  out. 

The  third  chapter  has  nothing  to  say  about  the 
locusts,  but  we  see  instead  the  nations,  which 
were  represented  by  the  locusts,  gathered  togeth- 
er for  judgment.  It  is  a  great  descriptive  chapter 
of  the  day  of  the  Lord  and  all  the  events  which 
cluster  around  that  great  coming  day.  And  now 
we  are  prepared  to  take  up  the  chapters  separate- 
ly and  follow  the  prophecy  of  Joel  in  an  analytical 
study. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Th«  Word  of  the  Lord  which  came  to  Joel,  the 
son  of  Pethuel  (Verse  i). 

This  evidently  is  the  superscription  of  the  en- 
tire book.  And  a  most  significant  one  it  is. 

Even  at  that  early  date  in  which  Joel  lived  and 
exercised  his  prophetic  office  the  people  disbe- 
lieved the  messages  God  sent  them.  In  this  sol- 
emn beginning  the  Prophet  makes  known  that  he 
is  only  the  mouthpiece  of  Jehovah  and  that  the 
words  he  spoke  are  not  his  own,  but  it  is  the 
Word  of  the  Lord.  Such  a  positive  statement 
that  God  spake  by  the  Prophets  (Hebrews  i:i) 
and  that  their  utterances  are  inspired  is  found  at 
the  beginning  of  nearly  all  the  prophetic  books 
and  occurs  over  and  over  again  in  the  course  of 
their  visions  and  utterances.  In  the  following 
passages  the  same  phrase  is  found:  Hosea  i:i; 
Micah  i:i;  Zephaniah  i:i:  Zechariah  ix:i;  xii:i; 
Mai.  i  :i ;  Jeremiah  xi  :i ;  xliii  :8 ;  xlix  113,  etc.  Other 
Prophets  begin  with  "the  vision  of  the  Lord"  or 
the  "burden"  (utterance),  while  the  sentence 
"thus  saith  the  Lord"  occurs  hundreds  of  times. 


28  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

Yet  in  face  of  these  positive  statements  men,  who 
call  themselves  Christians  and  claim  learning,  can 
deny  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible  and  teach  that 
the  visions  and  utterances  of  these  holy  men  of 
God  (2  Peter  i:2i)  as  well  as  other  books  of  the 
Old  Testament,  are  not  the  Word  of  God.  Such 
a  denial  is  fearful  indeed,  for  it  stamps  these  in- 
struments of  Jehovah  as  impostors,  who  claimed 
that  the  Lord  spoke  to  them  and  that  they  faith- 
fully transmitted  the  message,  when,  according 
to  them,  He  did  not. 

The  Word  of  Jehovah  we  have  here  before  us 
and  it  still  is  unchanged  in  our  possession.  It  is 
the  same  as  it  came  to  Joel.  The  Word  of 
Jehovah  is  imperishable ;  it  will  exist  forever. 

But  who  was  the  instrument  into  whose  pen  the 
Spirit  of  God  dictated  these  sublime  words?  As 
stated  before  in  our  brief  introduction,  we  know 
next  to  nothing  about  the  personality  of  Joel.  In 
fact,  all  we  know  about  him,  which  is  reliable,  is 
contained  in  this  first  verse.  The  name  of  Joel 
was  not  a  rare  one  among  the  ancient  Hebrews. 
Samuel  had  a  son  by  that  name  (i  Sam.  viii:2), 
he  was  his  first  born ;  then  there  was  a  Levite  by 
that  name  (2  Chronicles  xxix:i2);  the  name  is 
also  found  in  nine  other  places  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. However,  the  identity  of  any  of  these 


CHAPTER   I.  29 

with  the  prophet  Joel,  the  son  of  Pethuel,  cannot 
be  established.  The  brief  but  solemn  beginning 
of  the  book  fits  perfectly  to  the  solemn  and  brief 
messages  the  Lord  committed  to  Joel. 

"Hear  this,  ye  aged  men, 
"And  open  the  ear  ye  inhabitants  of  the  land! 
"Hath  this  happened  in  your  days, 
"Or  even  in  the  days  of  your  fathers? 
"Relate  it  to  your  children 
"And  your  children  to  their  children, 
"And  their  children  to  another  generation." 
(Verses  2-3.) 

These  two  verses  must  be  looked  upon  as  an  in- 
troduction to  the  description  of  the  great  calamity 
which  had  befallen  the  land.  It  is  in  the  form  of 
an  appeal  to  the  people.  The  words  indicate  at 
once  the  greatness  of  the  disaster.  What  hap- 
pened to  the  land  is  of  such  a  fearful  character 
that  it  is  unprecedented.  He  calls  upon  the  aged 
men  or  elders  among  the  people  first  of  all  to  bear 
witness  to  this  fact  that  never  before  has  such 
a  thing  happened  in  the  land  of  Judah.  The  mem- 
ory of  the  old  men  reached  the  furthest  back, 
therefore  he  mentions  them  first.  A  similar  word 
is  found  in  Moses'  prophetic  song.  "Remember 
the  days  of  old,  consider  the  years  of  many  gen- 
erations ;  ask  thy  father,  and  he  will  shew  thee ; 


30  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

thy  elders  and  they  will  tell  thee"  (Deut.  xxxii :/). 
Then  he  calls  upon  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
land,  if  they  ever  witnessed  such  a  terrible  evil. 
It  is  likewise  an  appeal  to  them  to  listen  and  to 
heed  the  God-given  message.  Such  appeals  are 
found  frequently  in  the  prophetic  Word  (Deut. 
xxxii  :i ;  Psl.  xlix  :2 ;  Isaiah  i  :2 ;  Jerm.  ii  :i2 ;  Hosea 
iv:i;  Amos  iii:i).  The  visitation  of  the  locusts 
is  to  be  related  to  the  coming  generations.  They 
are  to  know  of  it  and  learn  the  lessons  from  the 
great  calamity,  which  had  come  upon  the  land. 
The  coming  generations  are  mentioned  because 
the  prophetic  vision  sees  not  only  the  present  cal- 
amity, but  behind  that  affliction  stand  future  great 
judgments  for  the  land  and  the  people.  The  Holy 
Spirit  has  put  therefore  in  the  beginning  of  this 
book  an  important  hint.  The  future  generations 
are  to  remember  what  God  did  in  His  punitive 
action  and  what  He  threatens  to  do,  typically  in- 
dicated by  the  locust  plague.  Higher  critics  have 
maintained  that  this  appeal  to  tell  the  children  is 
borrowed  from  Exodus  x:2.  "That  thou  mayest 
tell  in  the  ears  of  thy  son,  and  of  thy  son's  son, 
what  things  I  have  wrought  in  Egypt,  and  my 
signs  which  I  have  done  among  them;  that  ye 
may  know  how  I  am  the  Lord."  The  judgment 
by  the  locusts  follows  in  that  chapter  in  Exodus 


CHAPTER   I.  31 

and  in  the  sixth  verse  we  read  how  severe  that 
judgment  was.  "And  they  shall  fill  thy  houses, 
and  the  houses  of  all  thy  servants,  and  the  houses 
of  all  the  Egyptians;  which  neither  thy  fathers, 
nor  thy  fathers'  fathers  have  seen,  since  the  day 
that  they  were  upon  the  earth  unto  this  day." 
Joel  did  not  borrow  the  language  from  Exodus,  but 
the  Spirit  of  God  used  through  him  similar  lan- 
guage as  He  used  in  addressing  Pharaoh  when  he 
was  about  to  be  humbled  for  his  wicked  pride 
and  hard  heartedness. 

The  fourth  verse  contains  the  description  of  the 
locusts.  This  fourth  verse  is  a  most  important 
one.  We  shall  examine  it  in  detail  and  give  some 
information  about  the  locusts  and  their  typical 
prophetic  meaning. 

"What  the  Gasam  left,  the  Arbeh  hath  devoured 
And  what  the  Arbeh  left,  the  Jelek  hath  devoured 
And  what  the  Jelek  left,  the  Chasel  hath  devoured." 

First  of  all  a  description  of  this  insect.  It  is 
necessary  to  have  some  information  on  this  sub- 
ject in  order  to  understand  why  they  are  used  to 
typify  so  important  a  prophetic  theme.* 

*We  spent  considerable  time  in  ascertaining  these 
facts  and  to  establish  their  reliability.  The  best  work 
on  the  Locusts  we  have  seen  is  by  A.  Munro,  the  locust 
plague  and  its  suppression.  We  have  also  used  Dr.  K. 
A.  Credner's  work  "Ueber  die  Heuschrecken,"  Halle, 


32  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

We  left  the  Hebrew  names  untranslated  be- 
cause the  translation  makes  it  appear  as  if  there 
were  different  insects  like  the  caterpillar,  and  the 
palmerworm,  which  besides  the  locust  spoiled  the 
land.  This  however  is  not  the  case;  it  was  one 
insect  alone  which  did  the  damage.  However 
these  locusts  appeared  in  a  fourfold  form.  Con- 
sidering these  four  words  first  etymologically 
there  is  no  difficulty  to  give  their  meaning.  Gaz- 
am  means  "to  gnaw  off,"  showing  the  destruct- 
iveness  of  the  insect;  this  word  is  used  only  once 
more  in  the  prophetic  word  outside  of  Joel  (Amos 
iv:9). 

Arbeh  is  derived  from  rabbah,  which  means  "to 
be  many."  It  is  the  common  Hebrew  name  for 
"locusts"  and  may  denote  their  migratory  habits ; 
they  appear  in  immense  swarms  of  millions.  Jelek 
has  the  meaning  "to  lick  off";  it  is  used  in  Psalm 
cv  134.  Chasel  is  "to  devour  or  consume" ;  it  is 
frequently  used  in  other  passages.  The  use  of 
these  four  different  words  is  not  for  poetical  rea- 
sons, as  it  has  been  so  frequently  stated  by  ex- 
positors. Nor  are  these  four  words  simply  used 
to  show  the  destructive  character  of  the  insect. 
The  locust  has  four  stages;  the  most  destructive  is 
the  fourth,  the  devouring  locust.  These  four  stages 
are  possibly  indicated  in  the  book  of  Leviticus.  "The 


CHAPTER   I.  33 

locust  after  his  kind,  the  bald  locust  after  its  kind, 
the  beetle  after  its  kind  and  the  grasshopper  after 
its  kind."  The  locust  passes  through  these  stages 
in  its  development.  The  locust  which  gnaws, 
then  they  get  wings  and  become  the  flying  lo- 
cust, the  third  the  licking  locust  and  the  fourth, 
the  devouring  locust.  These  four  kinds  of  the  lo- 
cust devastated  the  land.  Why  the  number  four 
is  thus  made  prominent  in  this  great  calamity, 
which  points  forward  to  the  day  of  Jehovah,  what 
is  its  significant  prophetic  meaning,  we  shall  show 
later.  We  must  first  give  some  more  information 
about  the  locusts. 

The  origin  of  the  locusts  and  where  they  come 
from  is  uncertain.  In  South  Africa  they  are  sup- 
posed to  appear  from  the  vast  deserts  of  that 
continent;  in  South  America  from  the  waste  lands 
in  the  west  of  Brazil  and  on  our  continent  from 
the  great  southwestern  deserts.  Locusts  have  at 
one  time  or  another  devastated  the  largest  part  of 
the  habitable  world.  History  gives  ample  proof 
of  it.  The  island  of  Cyprus  was  completely  strip- 
ped by  locust  invasions  for  250  years.  Record 
upon  record  could  be  given  for  almost  2000  years 
in  which  locusts  did  their  fearful  work,  so  viv- 
idly portrayed  in  this  chapter,  in  many  countries. 
Says  the  authority  from  which  we  learn  these 


34  THE   BOOK   OF   JOEL. 

facts,  "Everyone  who  has  carefully  observed 
what  occurs  in  a  visitation  of  locusts  must  admit 
the  literal  accuracy  of  all  that  is  said  on  the  sub- 
ject in  the  Bible.  Their  characteristics  to-day 
exactly  tally  with  the  Bible  accounts.  I  saw  un- 
der my  own  eye  not  only  a  large  vineyard  loaded 
with  young  grapes,  but  whole  fields  of  corn  dis- 
appear as  if  by  magic,  and  the  hope  of  the  hus- 
bandman vanish  like  smoke.  There  remained  not 
any  green  thing  in  the  trees  or  in  the  herbs  of  the 
field." 

The  locusts  make  their  appearance  in  their  tem- 
porary homes  in  large  companies  or  swarms,  com- 
posed of  an  innumerable  number,  as  flying  lo- 
custs; these  may  be  termed  "invading"  or  "wan- 
dering" companies.  They  are  sometimes  so  num- 
erous that  when  about  seven  to  ten  miles  distant 
the  swarm  appears  as  a  cloud  in  the  atmosphere, 
and  really  forms  one  so  black  in  the  clear  and 
rarefied  air  of  the  countries  which  they  visit  as  to 
at  once  attract  attention  and  wonder  from  its  pe- 
culiarity. At  first  you  are  apt  to  imagine  the 
cloud  comes  from  the  burning  of  a  forest  on  ac- 
count of  its  unusual  darkened  colour.  By  watch- 
ing the  cloud  one  will  soon  be  undeceived,  and  the 
"vanguard"  of  the  swarm  will  make  their  appear- 
ance around  you. 


CHAPTER   I.  35 

It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  number  of  lo- 
custs in  these  clouds,  but  some  idea  may  be 
formed  from  the  fact  that  when  they  are  driven, 
as  it  is  sometimes  the  case  in  storm,  into  the  sea, 
so  many  are  washed  ashore  that  they  lie  on  the 
beach  as  a  bank  from  three  to  four  feet  thick  for 
fifty  to  a  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  the  stench 
from  the  decayed  bodies,  it  is  affirmed,  is 
noticed  for  150  miles  inland,  enough  to  generate 
disease.  Please  read  at  this  point  Joel  ii  :2O. 

In  other  cases  when  the  cloud  composes  itself 
and  spreads  out,  there  is  an  unbroken  area  cov- 
ered by  them  for  several  hundred  miles  in  length 
and  breadth.  A  careful  investigator,  Captain 
Beaufort,  has  recorded  a  cloud  of  locusts  forty 
miles  long  by  three  hundred  yards  in  depth,  which 
he  estimated  must  have  contained  169  billions  of 
locusts ;  but  really  in  face  of  these  facts  one  loses 
all  count  of  numbers,  the  crowd  is  so  appalling. 
So  enormous  is  the  multitude  that  the  sun  can  be 
looked  at  as  if  there  was  an  eclipse,  the  sun  is  lit- 
erally darkened,  and  shadows  cannot  then  be  cast 
from  it.  The  reader  is  again  referred  to  our  pro- 
phet to  see  the  description  of  the  invading  army 
under  the  imagery  of  the  locusts  in  chapter  ii  :2 
and  10. 

The  speed  in  which  they  fly  varies.    They  can 


36  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

be  often  seen  going  at  the  rate  of  12  miles  an 
hour,  and  at  other  times  they  seem  to  hover 
about.  Their  movements  are  very  orderly.  They 
appear  to  act  together  in  their  movements  by  a 
common  sort  of  instinct  or  impulse.  See  Joel 
ii  :8,  etc.  Their  flight  makes  a  crackling  noise, 
sufficient  to  stampede  cattle.  The  locusts  with- 
out wings  in  the  previous  stage  are  called  "hop- 
pers." When  they  are  on  the  march  they  appear 
so  determined  and  bent  on  the  fearful  execution 
of  their  work  that  they  resemble  in  many  aspects 
an  army  on  the  march  (Joel  ii:4-5).  They  move 
in  open  file,  and  carry  themselves  in  a  proud, 
haughty  way,  with  heads  high  up  and  fixed.  It 
is  rather  beautiful  and  interesting  to  see  them  on 
the  march.  It  is  in  this  marching  stage  that  they 
do  enormous  damage,  and  eat  every  edible  thing 
in  their  path.  They  leave  nothing  behind  but 
desolation. 

In  our  book  we  study,  the  locusts  are  used  in 
the  second  chapter  as  types  of  an  army.  Eyewit- 
nesses declare  that  these  locusts  marching  along 
are  indeed  a  miniature  army.  The  whole  of  the 
company  begin  to  walk  at  the  same  time,  as  if 
by  order;  the  head  is  kept  erect,  and  the  neck  is 
as  if  stiffened.  They  go  straight  on,  irrespective 
of  danger,  and  though  they  manifest  a  decided 


CHAPTER  I.  37 

power  sometimes  to  select  a  slightly  different 
course,  yet  they  are  not  easily  turned  from  their 
course,  and  being  so  numerous  and  closely  pha- 
lanxed  nothing  escapes  them.  The  sight  of  this 
"army"  is  a  very  impressive  one,  and  once  seen 
will  never  be  forgotten.  They  are  divided  into 
companies;  these  companies  are  not  hindered  or 
deterred  from  pursuing  the  course  they  have 
elected.  The  column  follows  the  vanguard,  and 
when  the  vanguard  changes  its  course  the  change 
seems  to  be  curiously  communicated  in  wave-like 
fashion  all  along  the  company  following.  We 
find  them  jumping  into  the  water  of  a  river  one 
after  the  other  until  they  bridge  it  by  their  own 
bodies,  and  the  rest  of  the  army  cross  over  in 
force  to  the  other  side,  even  though  the  expanse 
of  water  be  a  mile  or  more  in  breadth.  The  army 
carries  out  persistently  the  general  direction  as 
to  the  march. 

It  is  impossible  to  stop  the  army  of  locusts. 
Trenches  and  ditches  do  not  stop  them.  They 
crawl  upon  the  houses  and  enter  in  at  the  win- 
dows. All  this  is  most  interesting  as  we  read, 
especially  the  second  chapter  of  Joel's  vision. 

To  follow  a  description  of  the  mode  of  devel- 
opment of  the  different  locusts  from  the  egg 
would  lead  us  too  far.  It  is,  however,  very  in- 


38  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

structive  and  interesting.  The  adult  locust  has 
the  following  very  pronounced  parts  which  may 
be  observed  :  a  strong,  wild  looking  head  ;  a  string 
collar,  inside  which  the  neck  moves.  This  collar 
is  a  kind  of  an  armoured  coat;  powerful,  pecu- 
liarly formed  legs,  attached  to  a  short  square 
trunk,  four  wings,  two  antennae  and  a  long  abdo- 
men. The  head  resembles  strongly  that  of  the 
horse.  This  is  why  the  German  people  call  the 
locusts  "Heupferde"  (Hay  horses).  They  look 
ferocious. 

From  these  descriptions  we  have  briefly  given, 
we  learn  why  the  Lord  selected  the  locusts  as  the 
instruments  by  which  He  brought  disaster  upon 
the  land.  They  were  indeed  best  fitted  to  lay 
the  beautiful  land  bare,  but  besides  this  they  were 
a  lifelike  picture  of  armies  coming  into  the  land. 
God  had  in  the  law  threatened  the  land  with  this 
plague  if  the  people  were  disobedient.  "Thou 
shalt  carry  much  seed  out  into  the  field  and  shall 
but  gather  little  in  it ;  for  the  locust  shall  con- 
sume it"  (Deut.  xxviii:38).  "All  thy  trees  and 
fruit  of  thy  land  shall  the  locust  consume"  (verse 
42).  The  same  judgment  God  had  put  upon 
Egypt  He  permitted  to  come  upon  His  own  land. 

But  these  literal  locusts  were  only  the  foreshad- 
owings  of  more  awful  judgments  which  were  in 


CHAPTER   I.  39 

store  for  the  land.  Hostile  armies',  prefigured  by 
the  locusts,  the  armies  of  the  Gentiles,  were  to 
come  in  and  lay  the  land  waste.  And  now  we 
come  to  the  significance  of  the  number  four.  The 
Gazam,  Arbeh,  Jelek  and  Chasel,  called  later  by 
the  Lord  "my  great  army"  (ii  125)  have  a  mean- 
ing, which  is  important.  Elsewhere  in  the  Word 
we  read  of  four  kinds  of  punishments.  "And  I 
will  appoint  over  them  four  kinds,  saith  the  Lord : 
the  sword  to  slay,  and  the  dogs  to  tear ;  and  such 
as  are  for  the  famine,  to  the  famine;  and  such  as 
are  for  the  captivity,  to  the  captivity"  (Jeremiah 
xv :3).  See  also  Ezekiel  xlv:2i.  However,  the 
number  four  is  also  found  in  connection  with 
God's  judgments  upon  the  land  of  Israel.  Twice 
we  have  it  mentioned  in  the  Book  of  Daniel  and 
once  in  the  prophet  Zechariah. 

The  King  Nebuchadnezzar  had  a  dream  and  the 
image  which  he  saw  was  composed  of  four  parts, 
each  part  being  typical  of  a  great  worldpower, 
Babylon,  the  Medo-Persian  worldpower,  the  Grae- 
co-Macedonian  and  the  Roman.  The  second  chap- 
ter in  Daniel  gives  us  the  full  record  of  this.  Then 
Daniel  himself  had  a  great  vision  and  saw  four 
beasts  rising  out  of  the  sea.  These  beasts  are 
the  pictures  of  the  same  worldpowers,  predicted 
in  the  dream  image  of  the  King.  The  last,  the 


40  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

Roman  empire  is  to  devour;  the  most  fearful  of 
all.  The  armies  of  all  four  have  marched  through 
Israel's  land  and  laid  it  waste  and  the  most  fear- 
ful destruction  was  wrought  by  the  fourth,  the 
armies  of  the  Roman  empire.  The  prophet  Zech- 
ariah  in  his  second  night  vision  beheld  four  horns 
and  the  Divine  interpretation  states  that  these 
horns  have  scattered  Judah  and  Jerusalem.  They 
are  symbolical  of  the  same  four  worldpowers.  The 
locusts  mentioned  by  their  four  names  are  types 
of  these  four  worldpowers.  We  believe  the 
Hebrew  rabbis  who  explained  the  meaning  of  the 
locusts  in  precisely  the  same  way  as  we  do  were 
correct. 

But  the  end  of  this  devastation  is  not  yet.  Once 
more  the  land  will  see  an  invasion  and  Jerusalem 
will  be  compassed  by  armies,  the  armies  of  na- 
tions. This  will  be  in  connection  with  the  great 
coming  day  of  the  Lord. 

The  invasion  of  the  locusts,  the  fearful  results 
of  that  invasion  and  the  call  to  the  priests  and  to 
the  people  to  lament  are  the  contents  of  this  chapter 
from  verse  5-20.  We  must  bear  in  mind  the  two 
facts  we  have  previously  stated:  i.  It  was  a  literal 
locust  plague  which  swept  over  the  land  in  Joel's 
day.  What  he  describes  is  that  which  took  place; 
it  was  a  divine  judgment  upon  the  land  and  the 


CHAPTER   I.  41 

people.  2.  This  locust  invasion  has  a  deeper  pro- 
phetic meaning.  It  is  a  divine  foreshadowing  of 
the  judgments  which  were  to  pass  over  the  land  of 
Israel  and  the  people  on  account  of  their  disobe- 
dience. The  locusts  are  fitting  types  of  powerful 
nations,  whom  God  permitted  to  enter  the  land  and 
lay  it  waste.  The  four  names  of  locusts  are  used, 
as  we  learned  already,  because  four  great  world- 
powers  were  to  dominate  over  Palestine  during 
that  prophetic  period  called  in  the  Scripture  "the 
times  of  the  Gentiles."  We  behold,  therefore,  in 
this  description,  a  prophetic  picture  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  land,  which  God  gave  to  Abraham  and 
his  natural  descendants  up  to  the  time  when  the 
day  of  the  Lord  dawns,  when  the  deplorable  con- 
dition of  the  land  and  the  people  will  come  to  an 
end.  These  two  facts  we  shall  keep  before  us  as 
we  write  briefly  on  these  verses. 

The   division   of   the   rest  of   chapter   i  15-20  is 
easily  made. 

I.  The  call  to  the  drunkards  to  lament  (verses 
5-7)- 

II.  The  call  to  the  people  and  the  priests  to  la- 
ment and  to  mourn  (verses  8-12). 

III.  The  call  to  the  priests  to  lament  and  to  cry 
to  Jehovah  (verses  13,  14). 


42  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

IV.  The  approaching  day  and  the  condition  of 
the  land  (verses  15-18). 

V.  The  prayer  of  the  Prophet  (verses  19-20). 

I.  The  call  to  the  drunkards  to  lament  (verses 
5-7). 

"Awake  ye  drunkards  and  weep, 

And  howl  all  ye  drinkers  of  wine, 

Because  of  the  sweet  wine 

For  it  is  taken  away  from  your  mouth." — (Verse  5.) 

The  first  swarm  of  the  locust,  the  Gazam,  had 
appeared  at  the  close  of  the  summer,  when  the 
fruits  of  the  field  had  already  been  taken  in.  Only 
the  vineyards  had  not  been  harvested.  The  lo- 
custs, therefore,  attacked  the  vineyards  and  the 
fruits  of  the  vine  disappeared  rapidly  before  the 
invading  multitudes.  The  drinkers  of  wine  were 
to  suffer  first  of  all  the  results  of  the  judgment.  In 
other  passages  of  the  prophets  we  read  of  the  sin 
of  drunkenness,  which  was  prevalent  among  the 
Jewish  people.  This  was  the  condition  of  many 
in  the  days  of  prosperity,  when  the  herdsman  of 
Tekoa,  Amos,  prophesied  of  the  coming  days  of 
trouble;  he  pronounced  his  divine  "woe"  upon 
them  (Amos  vi:i-6).  In  two  great  judgment  chap- 
ters of  Isaiah  this  sin  is  mentioned.  It  is  the  sec- 
ond woe  in  chapter  v;  "Woe  unto  them  that  rise 


CHAPTER   I.  43 

up  early  in  the  morning,  that  they  may  follow 
strong  drink;  that  continue  until  night,  till  wine 
inflame  them"  (Is.  v:u).  In  chapter  xxiv,  where 
the  prophet  beholds  a  desolate  earth,  the  land  ut- 
terly emptied  and  spoiled,  we  read  likewise  of  the 
wine  and  the  calamity  which  comes  upon  the  drunk- 
ards. "The  new  wine  mourneth,  the  wine  languish- 
eth,  all  the  merry-hearted  do  sigh.  The  mirth  of 
the  tabrets  ceaseth,  the  noise  of  them  that  rejoice 
endeth,  the  joy  of  the  harp  ceaseth.  They  shall  not 
drink  wine  with  a  song;  strong  drink  shall  be  bitter 
to  them  that  drink  it"  (xxiv  17-9) .  They  were  giv- 
en to  wine  and  mockery.  "But  they  have  erred 
through  wine,  and  through  strong  drink  are  out  of 
the  way;  the  priest  and  the  prophet  have  erred 
through  strong  drink;  they  are  swallowed  up  of 
wine;  they  are  out  of  the  way  through  strong 
drink;  they  err  in  vision;  they  stumble  in  judg- 
ment" (Isaiah  xxviti:/).  But  besides  the  literal 
drunkenness  with  wine  we  must  also  think  of  that 
which  stood  behind  such  a  conduct.  They  forgot 
God  and  His  Word,  had  given  themselves  up  to 
pleasures  and  worldliness  on  account  of  which  the 
judgment  of  God  came  upon  them.*  Out  of  this 


*It  is   not  different  in  the  end  of  this  present  age. 
"Lovers  of  pleasures  more  than  lovers  of  God"  is  the 


44  THE    BOOK   OF   JOEL. 

stupefied  condition  they  were  to  awake  and  to  weep, 
for  there  was  no  more  wine.  God's  judgment  had 
robbed  them  of  the  source  of  their  pleasure. 

"For  a  nation  has  come  up  upon  my  land 

Mighty  and  without  number — 

His  teeth  lion's  teeth 

The  jaw  teeth,  that  of  a  lioness." — (Verse  6.) 

This1  verse  gives  us  light  on  the  prophetic  mean- 
ing of  the  locusts.  They  are  called  a  nation.  The 
ants  are  likewise  called  a  people.  "The  ants  are  a 
people  not  strong,  yet  they  prepare  their  meat  in 
the  summer"  (Prov.  xxx:25).  There  is,  however, 
a  difference  in  the  word  "people"  or  "nation"  in 
the  Hebrew,  as  used  in  these  passages.  The  lo- 
custs are  called  a  "goi,"  which  means  a  heathen  na- 
tion, opposed  to  God's  earthly  people.  The  ants 
are  termed  "am,"  the  Hebrew  word  for  people  gen- 
erally applied  to  Israel.  Occasionally  God  calls  His 
earthly  people  a  "goi,"  especially  when  they  had 
sunk  to  the  level  of  the  Gentiles  about  them  and 

prediction  of  the  state  of  Christians  in  name  in  the 
last  days.  Statistics  tell  a  horrible  tale.  According  to 
the  statistics,  this  "Christian  (?)  nation"  expends 
yearly  over  a  thousand  million  for  strong  drink  and  a 
few  millions  only  for  foreign  missions.  What  an 
awakening  is  coming  bye  and  bye  for  the  lover*  of 
pleasures! 


CHAPTER   I.  45 

had  displeased  Him  by  their  disobedience.  The 
Gentiles  or  nations,  which  are  opposing  Israel  and 
are  revealed  as  hating  and  despising  them  are 
called  "gojim,"  the  plural  of  the  word  used  in  this 
verse.  The  literal  locusts  came  like  a  mighty  na- 
tion without  number  and  devoured  everything.  As 
those  locusts  had  come,  marching  like  an  army,  so 
an  actual  heathen  nation,  mighty  and  without  num- 
ber, was  to  fall  into  the  land.  The  Gentiles  are 
prefigured  by  the  locusts.  This  comparison  is  made 
elsewhere  in  the  Scriptures.  See  Numbers  xiii:33; 
Isaiah  xl:22;  Jeremiah  11:14.  Gentiles,  like  locusts, 
were  to  come  upon  the  land,  which  Joel  calls  "my 
land."  It  is  the  land,  which  is  called  in  Isaiah  "thy 
land,  O  Immanuel"  (Isa.  viii:8).  And  so  it  came 
true.  No  land  has  seen  such  scenes  of  troubles  as 
that  land ;  and  the  end  is  not  yet.  Once  more  the 
land  will  pass  through  great  calamities  and  Gen- 
tiles mighty  and  without  number  will  march  through 
it  and  commit  deeds  of  violence. 

The  metaphor  "lion's  teeth"  and  "jaw  teeth  of  a 
lioness"  must  not  be  overlooked.  Locusts,  of 
course,  have  not  lion's  teeth  nor  such  jaw  teeth.  It 
means  that  as  destructive  as  the  teeth  of  the  lion  are 
among  the  animals,  so  destructive  are  the  teeth  of 
the  locusts  to  vegetation.  But  the  use  of  the  lion 
fully  harmonizes  with  the  prophetic  meaning.  In 


,46  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

Daniel  vii  the  Prophet  to  whom  God  revealed  the 
history  of  the  Gentile  worldpowers  and  their 
course,  as  well  as  that  which  will  follow  the  times 
of  the  Gentiles,  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  and 
the  establishment  of  His  kingdom,  beholds  the 
great  "gojim,"  or  nations,  who  are  to  have  the 
rule.  "In  the  first  year  of  Belshazzar,  King  of 
Babylon,  Daniel  had  a  dream  and  vision  of  His 
head  upon  his  bed;  then  he  wrote  the  dream,  and 
told  the  sum  of  the  matters.  Daniel  spake  and  said, 
I  saw  in  my  vision  by  night,  and  behold,  the  four 
winds  of  heaven  strove  upon  the  great  sea.  And 
four  great  beasts  came  up  from  the  sea,  diverse 
from  one  another.  The  first  was  like  a  lion  and 
had  eagle's  wings"  (Dan.  vii:i~4).  This  is  the 
first  great  nation,  which  came  like  the  locusts  upon 
the  land.  That  the  lion  is  used  as  the  figure  of  the 
Babylonian  empire  in  its  destructiveness,  and  that 
the  locusts  are  described  first  of  all  as  having 
lion's  teeth,  is  indeed  very  striking. 

The  fourth  great  worldpower,  the  Roman,  with 
its  future  revival  in  the  form  of  ten  kingdoms  and 
its  little  horn,  is  described  by  Daniel  as  follows: 
"After  this  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and  behold  a 
fourth  beast,  dreadful  and  terrible,  and  strong  ex- 
ceedingly; and  it  had  great  iron  teeth,  it  devoured 
and  brake  in  pieces  and  stamped  the  residue  with 


CHAPTER   I.  47 

the  feet  of  it ;  and  it  was  diverse  from  all  the  beasts 
that  were  before  it;  and  it  had  ten  horns"  ((Dan. 
vii:7).  Here  the  teeth  to  devour  are  mentioned. 
These  correspondencies  with  the  first  mention  of 
the  locusts  as  "a  nation"  compared  to  lions 
in  their  destructiveness  and  their  strong  teeth, 
devouring  everything,  with  this  vision  of  Daniel  is, 
to  our  mind,  sufficient  to  prove  that  God  used  the 
locusts  to  foreshadow  the  greater  calamity  for  the 
land. 

"He  hath  made  my  vine  for  a  desolation 
And  my  fig  tree  broken  down; 
Peeled  off  completely  and  cast  it  away; 
His  branches  are  made  white." — (Verse  7.) 

The  destructiveness  of  the  insects  is  now  still 
more  described.  They  do  not  confine  themselves  to 
grass  and  leaves.  "Neither  herbs,  nor  shrubs,  nor 
trees  remain  unhurt.  Whatever  is  either  grassy,  or 
covered  with  leaves,  is  injured,  as  if  it  had  been 
burned  with  fire.  Even  the  bark  of  trees  is  nib- 
bled with  their  teeth,  so  that  the  injury  is  not  con- 
fined to  one  year  alone."* 

The  vineyards  had  been  attacked  and  soon  all 
was  desolation.  The  fig  trees  were  broken  down ; 
the  bark  had  been  peeled  off  and  the  branches, 


*Histor.  Aethiop.  by  H.  Ludolf. 


48  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

spoiled  of  its  sapbearing  covering,  showed  the  white, 
lifeless  wood.  Devastation  and  death  followed  the 
locust  invasion.  Without  following  these  descrip- 
tions in  their  literal  meaning,  we  turn  to  that  which 
is  hidden  under  this  great  calamity  which  had 
visited  the  land.  The  vine  and  fig  tree  are  promi- 
nently mentioned.  The  vine  and  fig  tree  suffered 
the  most.  It  is  incorrect,  as  some  expositors  state, 
that  the  reason  for  the  prominence  of  the  vine  and 
fig  tree  is  that  the  locusts  mostly  attack  these  two. 
It  has  been  proven  that  it  is  not  so.  Others  say,  "in 
the  description  of  the  devastation  caused  by  the 
army  of  locusts,  the  vine  and  fig  tree  are  mentioned 
as  the  noblest  productions  of  the  land,  which  the 
Lord  has  given  to  His  people  for  their  inheritance" 
(Keil  and  Delitzsch).  This  may  be  so,  but  it  does 
not  take  in  consideration  that  it  speaks  of  only  one 
vine  and  one  fig  tree.  Furthermore  the  personal 
suffix  "my"  is  added ;  my  vine — my  fig  tree.  Ac- 
cording to  teachers  who  see  in  these  words  noth- 
ing else  than  a  poetical  description  of  a  land  which 
was  spoiled  by  the  locusts,  it  must  mean  that  Joel 
possessed  a  vine  and  a  fig  tree,  and  that  they  were 
broken  down  and  peeled  off. 

But  the  prophet  does  not  lament  the  loss  of  any 
personal  vine  or  fig  tree.  He  speaks  "The  Word 
of  Jehovah."  It  is  Jehovah's  vine  and  fig  tree 


CHAPTER   I.  49 

which  are  spoiled.  Besides  the  olive  tree,  the  type 
of  God's  ever  green  covenant  with  Israel,  the  Spirit 
of  God  has  used  the  vine  and  the  fig  tree  as  types 
of  the  earthly  people  of  God.  Israel  is  God's  vine 
and  God's  fig  tree.  This  is  clearly  seen  in  God's 
holy  Word.  "Thou  hast  brought  a  vine  out  of  Egypt ; 
thou  hast  cast  out  the  heathen  and  planted  it.  Thou 
preparedst  room  before  it,  and  didst  cause  it  to  take 
deep  root,  and  it  filled  the  land.  The  hills  were 
covered  with  the  shadow  of  it,  and  the  boughs 
thereof  were  like  the  goodly  cedars.  She  sent  out 
her  boughs  unto  the  sea,  and  her  branches  unto  the 
river.  Why  hast  thou  then  broken  down  her 
hedges,  so  that  all  they  which  pass  by  the  way  do 
pluck  her  ?  The  boar  out  of  the  wood  does  waste  it, 
and  the  wild  beast  of  the  field  doth  devour  it.  Re- 
turn, we  beseech  Thee,  O  God  of  Hosts ;  look  down 
from  heaven,  and  behold,  and  visit  this  vine,  and 
the  vineyard  which  thy  right  hand  hath  planted,  and 
the  branch  that  Thou  madest  strong  for  Thyself" 
(Ps.  Ixxx:8-i5).  Here  we  learn  Israel  is  the  vine 
brought  out  of  Egypt  and  how  the  Lord  treated  this 
vine  in  His  goodness.  We  find  here,  also,  a  de- 
scription of  the  waste  condition  of  that  vine.  The 
boar  of  the  wood  (the  Gentiles)  has  wasted  it. 
The  prayer  "Return — look  down  from  heaven — . 
visit  Thy  vine" — is  the  prayer  of  the  remnant  of 


50  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

Israel  during  the  time  called  in  Scripture  "the  great 
tribulation — Jacob's  trouble."  And  why  was  the 
vine  thus  waste  ?  Isaiah  v  :2-6  gives  us  the  answer : 
"He  fenced  it  and  gathered  out  the  stones  thereof, 
and  planted  it  with  the  choicest  vines,  and  built  a 
tower  in  the  midst  of  it,  and  also  made  a  wine- 
press therein;  and  He  looked  that  it  should  bring 
forth  grapes,  and  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes. 
And  now,  O  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  men  of 
Judah,  judge,  I  pray  you,  betwixt  me  and  my  vine- 
yard. What  could  have  been  done  more  to  my 
vineyard  that  I  have  not  done  in  it?  Wherefore 
when  I  looked  that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes, 
brought  it  forth  wild  grapes?  And  now  go  to;  I 
will  tell  you  what  I  will  do  to  my  vineyard :  I  will 
take  away  the  hedge  thereof,  and  it  shall  be  eaten 
up,  and  break  down  the  wall  thereof,  and  it  shall  be 
trodden  down.  And  I  will  lay  it  waste ;  it  shall  not 
be  pruned  nor  digged ;  but  there  shall  come  up 
briers  and  thorns ;  I  will  also  command  the  clouds 
that  they  rain  no  rain  upon  it"  (see  Matt.  xxi:33). 

That  Israel  is  typified  by  the  fig  tree  is  likewise 
learned  from  the  Word  of  God.  Read  Luke  xiii  :6- 
9;  Matthew  xxi:i7-2i ;  xxix:32. 

God's  vine  and  fig  tree,  on  which  He  spent  so 
much  labor  looking  for  fruit,  was  laid  bare  and 


CHAPTER   1  51 

spoiled  by  the  Gentiles,  as  the  locusts  spoiled  the 
vine  and  the  fig  tree.  And  still  it  is  so. 
But  some  day  the  vine  will  yield  the  fruit  and  the 
fig  tree  will  put  forth  new  leaves.  And  here  we 
must  likewise  mention  that  sitting  under  the  fig 
tree  and  the  vine,  fruitful  once  more,  and  its  fruit 
enjoyed,  is  in  Scripture  a  picture  of  millennial 
blessedness,  when  the  enemies  of  Israel  are  no 
more  wasting  the  land,  when  these  enemies  are  de- 
stroyed. "And  He  shall  judge  among  people,  and 
rebuke  strong  nations  afar  off;  and  they  shall  beat 
their  swords  into  plowshares,  and  their  spears  into 
pruninghooks ;  nation  shall  not  lift  sword  up  against 
nation,  neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more.  But 
they  shall  sit  every  man  under  his  vine  and  fig 
tree,  and  none  shall  make  them  afraid;  for  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  has  spoken  it"  (Micah. 
iv:3~4).  "In  that  day  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  shall 
ye  call  every  man  his  neighbor  under  the  vine  and 
under  the  fig  tree'  (Zech.  iii:io). 

In  the  second  chapter,  the  chapter  of  the  restora- 
tion and  blessing  for  Israel's  land,  the  fig  tree  and 
the  vine  are  mentioned  as  yielding  their  fruit.  All 
this  shows  the  divine  wisdom  and  harmony  of  God's 
Word  and  proves  that  the  whole  chapter  is  pro- 
phetic. 


52  THE    BOOK   OF   JOEL. 

II.  The  call  to  the  people  and  the  priests  to  la- 
ment and  to  mourn  (Verses  8-12). 

"Lament  like  a  virgin! 

Girded  with  sackcloth  for  the  husband  of  her  youth." — 
(Verse  8.) 

The  call  is  now  addressed  to  the  whole  congre- 
gation. The  people  are  to  lament  like  a  virgin 
who  has  been  bereft  of  the  husband  of  her  youth. 
This  again  is  very  significant.  It  reminds  us  at 
once  of  Isaiah  liv:6.  "For  the  Lord  hath  called 
thee  as  a  woman  forsaken  and  grieved  in  spirit, 
and  a  wife  of  youth,  when  thou  wast  refused, 
saith  thy  God."  Such  is  the  relationship  of  Jeho- 
vah to  His  earthly  people.  But  the  sins  of  the 
people  broke  this  relationship.  The  first  part  of 
Hosea  shows  all  this  fully.  Here,  too,  we  read  of 
the  time  when  Israel  will  call  the  Lord  "Ishi," 
which  means  "my  husband"  (Hosea  ii:i6).  This 
corresponds  with  the  vision  of  Isaiah  concerning 
the  great  future  of  the  people.  "Thou  shalt  no 
more  be  termed  Forsaken;  neither  shall  thy  land 
any  more  be  termed,  desolate;  but  thou  shalt  be 
called  Hephzi-bah  (My  delight  in  her),  and  thy 
land  Beulah  (married) ;  for  the  Lord  delighteth 
in  thee,  and  thy  land  shall  be  married.  For  as  a 
young  man  marrieth  a  virgin,  so  shall  thy  sons 
marry  thee;  and  as  a  bridegroom  rejoiceth  over 


CHAPTER   I.  53 

the  bride,  so  shalt  thy  God  rejoice  over  thee" 
(Is.  lxii:4,  5).  "For  thy  Maker  is  thine  husband; 
the  Lord  of  hosts  is  His  name."  Is.  Hv:5).  This 
will  all  be  fulfilled  in  the  day  of  restoration  and 
blessing  for  His  earthly  people,  ushered  in  with 
the  second  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This 
relationship  of  God  to  Israel  under  the  type  of 
marriage  is  typically  seen  in  the  Book  of  Ruth. 
Naomi  (the  pleasant  one)  is  Israel.  Her  husband 
Elimelech  (my  God  is  King).  He  dies;  the  rela- 
tionship of  God  with  Israel  became  broken  and 
Naomi  becomes  Mara,  which  means  bitterness. 

Joel  called  upon  the  people  to  lament  with 
the  lamentation  of  a  virgin,  who,  girded  in  sack- 
cloth, mourns  for  the  husband  of  her  youth.  The 
calamity  was  so  great  as  to  call  for  such  grief. 
But  deeper  we  behold  the  prophetic  indication  of 
Jerusalem's  forsaken  condition,  as  Isaiah  beheld 
it  when  he  wrote:  "And  her  gates  shall  lament 
and  mourn  and  she,  being  desolate,  shall  sit  on 
the  ground"  (Is.  iii:26). 

"Cut  off  is  the  meat  and  drink  offering  from  the  house 

of  Jehovah. 

The  priests  mourn,  the  servants  of  Jehovah: 
Wasted  is  the  field 
Mourning  is  the  land — 
For  wasted  is  the  corn 
The  new  wine  is  dried  up 
The  oil  faileth."— (Verses  9,  10.) 


54  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

So  great  was  the  trouble  which  had  come  upon 
the  land  that  the  meat  and  drink  offerings  could 
no  longer  be  brought  in  the  temple.  The  temple 
worship  ceased.  Corn  and  wine  and  oil  had  com- 
pletely failed.  The  judgment  which  had  fallen 
upon  the  land  had  resulted  in  a  suspension  of  the 
sacrifices.  This  meant  in  reality  a  suspension 
of  the  covenant  relation.  The  people  could  no 
longer  approach  God  in  the  manner  as  command- 
ed through  Moses.  Josephus,  the  great  Jewish 
historian,  writes  that  even  in  the  great  siege  of 
Jerusalem  the  offerings  and  sacrifices  did  not 
cease.  When  Jerusalem  was  besieged  by  the  Ro- 
mans the  sacrificial  worship  was  not  suspended 
till  there  were  no  more  people  to  bring  these  sac- 
rifices. The  priests  suffered  under  this  severely. 
Not  alone  was  the  temple  service  made  impossi- 
ble for  them  and  they  could  no  longer  exercise 
their  priestly  functions,  but  they  also  lost  their 
income  because  they  received  their  portions  from 
these  offerings. 

All  this  was  certainly  the  condition  of  Judah  in 
the  days  of  Joel.  It  is  a  vivid  and  faithful  descrip- 
tion of  the  great  calamity,  which  had  come  so  sud- 
denly upon  the  land.  But  what  took  place  then 
was  a  foreshadowing  of  what  should  be  the  case 
during  the  times  of  the  Gentiles,  when  Israel  is 


CHAPTER   I.  55 

scattered  among  the  nations  no  longer  in  their 
homeland.  All  sacrifices  and  offerings  connected 
with  the  temple  were  to  cease.  And  all  came 
true.  This  likewise  was  predicted.  "For  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  abide  many  days  without  a 
king,  and  without  a  prince,  and  without  a  sacri- 
fice, and  without  an  image,  and  without  an  ephod 
and  teraphim"  (Hosea  iii:4).  The  tenth  verse 
contains  the  mournful  complaint  of  the  priests. 
All  nature  suffered.  A  great  change  had  come 
over  the  fruitful  land,  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey.  In  the  place  of  the  greatest  fruitfulness 
had  come  the  most  awful  desolation.  The  locusts 
had  wasted  the  field  so  that  the  land  mourned ; 
corn,  wine  and  oil  were  gone.  Such  desolations 
are  repeatedly  described  in  connection  with  the 
judgments  of  God.  "The  earth  mourneth  and 
fadeth  away,  the  world  languisheth  and  fadeth 
away,  the  haughty  people  of  the  earth  do  lang- 
uish" (Is.  xxiv:4).  "For  thus  has  the  Lord  said, 
the  whole  land  shall  be  desolate;  yet  will  I  not 
make  a  full  end.  For  this  shall  the  earth  mourn, 
and  the  heavens  above  be  black ;  because  I  have 
spoken  it,  I  have  purposed  it  and  will  not  repent, 
neither  will  I  turn  back  from  it"  (Jerem.  iv:27, 
28). 

We  see  how  all  the  descriptions  of  local  disas- 


56  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

ter  apply  to  the  punishment  which  God  threat- 
ened to  His  earthly  people  and  their  land  on  account 
of  their  disobedience.  For  many  centuries  all  these 
predicted  judgments  have  had  their  literal  fulfil- 
ment. 

"Be  ashamed,  husbandmen! 

Howl — vinedressers ! 

For  the  wheat  and  the  barley, 

Because  the  harvest  of  the  field  is  lost. 

The  vine  is  dried  up 

And  the  fig  tree  faileth. 

The  pomegranate,  also  the  palm  and  the  apple  tree, 

All  the  trees  of  the  field  are  withered. 

Gone  is  joy  from  the  children  of  men." — (Verses  II,  12.) 

After  the  description  of  the  condition  of  the 
land  comes  the  lament  and  grief  of  the  husband- 
men and  the  vinedressers.  The  words  show  still 
greater  destruction.  The  whole  harvest  is  gone 
and  besides  the  failure  of  the  vine  and  the  fig 
tree  other  trees  are  mentioned.  Indeed,  all  the 
trees  are  described  as  withered,  and  thus  the  des- 
olation appears  still  greater.  On  account  of  the 
severity  of  this  visitation  joy  had  left  the  children 
of  men.  His  people  are  stripped  of  their  joy 
and  mourning  and  sackcloth  have  taken  the  place 
of  gladness  and  rejoicing. 


CHAPTER   I.  57 

III.  The  call  to  the  priests  to  lament  and  to  cry 
to  Jehovah  (verses  13-14). 

"Gird  yourselves  and  lament,  O  ye  priests, 

Howl,  ministers  of  the  altar; 

Come,  lie  down  in  sackcloth  all  night 

Ye  ministers  of  my  God. 

For  withholden  from  the  house  of  your  God 

Are  the  meat  offering  and  the  drink  offering. 

Sanctify  a  fast. 

Call  a  solemn  gathering; 

Bring  together  the   Elders, 

All  the  inhabitants  of  the  land 

In  the  house  of  Jehovah  your  God 

And  cry  unto  Jehovah." — (Verses  13,  14.)' 

Up  to  this  we  had  the  call  to  the  drunkards  i& 
awake,  to  the  nation  as  such  to  lament,  to  the 
husbandmen  and  the  vinedressers ;  we  heard  also 
the  lamenting  cry  of  the  priests.  The  priests  are 
now  especially  addressed  by  the  prophet.  They 
are  called  upon  to  acknowledge  the  visitation  as 
a  judgment  from  God  and  besides  repenting 
themselves  to  call  the  people  together  for  a  sol- 
emn gathering  and  to  cry  to  Jehovah  for  deliver- 
ance. They  were  to  take  off  their  priestly  gar- 
ments and  instead  of  them  put  on  the  garments 
of  mourning,  that  is  sackcloth.  On  all  these  cus- 
toms we  shall  say  nothing  further.  The  prophet 
gives  as  reason  for  calling  on  them  to  lament  and 


58  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

to  howl,  to  lie  down  in  sackcloth  all  night  because 
the  meat  offering  and  drink  offering  was  with- 
holden  from  the  house  of  the  Lord.  The  signifi- 
cant fact  is  that  there  is  no  response  from  the 
priests  to  this  call.  Not  a  word  of  repentance 
and  prayer  is  heard  from  the  side  of  the  priests  or 
the  people  in  this  chapter.  At  the  close  of  the 
chapter  the  prophet  alone  is  seen  crying  to 
Jehovah  and  we  shall  see  later  what  that  signifies. 
In  the  second  chapter  we  find  a  great  scene  of 
repentance,  though  priests  and  people  indeed  rend 
more  than  their  garments,  that  is,  their  hearts. 
Then  Jehovah  interferes  in  behalf  of  His  suffer- 
ing land  and  people.  That  response,  however, 
comes  after  the  last  invasion  of  a  people  numer- 
ous and  strong,  coming  from  the  North.  Here 
in  our  chapter  the  absence  of  any  repentance  from 
the  side  of  the  people  shows  prophetically  their 
hardness  and  blindness  during  this  age.  Though 
their  temple  is  burned,  no  more  sacrifices  can  be 
brought,  no  rest  for  the  soles  of  their  feet,  no  joy 
and  peace  for  them ;  they  continue  like  their 
fathers  in  stiffneckedness.  But  it  is  not  always 
to  be  thus.  A  great  affliction  is  coming  upon 
them  and  during  that  time  they  will  turn  to  the 
Lord  and  cry  to  Him  for  deliverance.  All  this  will 
be  brought  to  our  view  later  in  our  studies. 


CHAPTER   I.  59 

IV.  The  approaching  day  and  the  condition  of 
the  land  (verses  15-18). 

"Woe!     For  the  day! 

Because  near  is  the  day  of  Jehovah. 

Even  like  destruction  from  Shaddai  it  comes." — (Verse 
IS-) 

We  have  followed  up  to  this  verse  the  description 
of  the  locust  invasion  as  it  happened  in  Joel's  day 
and  the  terrible  devastation  which  these  powerful 
insects  left  behind.  We  likewise  learned  the  pro- 
phetic application  of  every  part  of  this  inspired  de- 
scription. Our  meditation  on  the  different  hap- 
penings and  the  comparison  of  Scripture  with 
Scripture  have  shown  that  such  a  prophetic  appli- 
cation is  correct. 

The  verse  we  have  now  reached  in  which  the 
prophet  for  the  first  time  speaks  of  the  Yom  Jeho- 
vah, the  day  of  the  Lord,  presents  some  difficulties. 
The  question  which  arises  first  is  the  question  of 
the  connection  with  the  preceding  descriptions  of 
the  destruction  wrought  by  the  locusts.  Is  it  a  part 
of  that  which  Joel  describes,  or  must  it  be  detached  ? 
Has  it  reference  to  the  day  in  which  the  locust 
swarms  covered  the  land,  or  is  it  future?  Ac- 
cording to  some  of  the  older  interpreters  of  this 
book  the  verse  must  be  looked  upon  as1  belonging 
to  the  preceding  verses,  so  that  the  priests,  who  are 
called  upon  to  lament  would  also  have  to  utter  these 


60  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

words.  We  do  not  agree  with  this  but  look  upon  the 
1 5th  verse  as  an  independent  exclamation  of  the 
Prophet.  In  the  midst  of  the  weird  description  of 
the  then  present  calamity  the  Prophet  beholds  a 
greater  judgment  approaching.  The  vision  he  be- 
holds makes  him  to  break  out  in  a  lamentation. 
The  word  "Woe"  is,  as  every  searcher  of  God's 
Word  knows,  often  connected  with  the  great  judg- 
ments of  the  day  of  Jehovah.  We  find  it  in  both 
Testaments  and  refer  the  reader  to  the  following 
passages:  Isaiah  v  18-23;  xxixn;  Ezek.  xxx:i-3; 
Amos  vi:i;  Hab.  ii:6-i9;  Matthew  xi:2i;  xxiv:i9; 
Rev.  viii:i3;  ix:i2;  xi:i4;  xii:i2. 

But  what  day  is  it  which  the  Prophet  beholds? 
Is  it  the  day  of  the  Lord  which  is  so  often  men- 
tioned by  the  other  Prophets  both  before,  during 
and  after  Babylonian  captivity,  of  which  the  Lord 
and  His  Apostles  speak  in  the  New  Testament? 
Or  is  it  some  other  great  judgment  which  Joel 
beheld,  which  he  calls  the  day  of  the  Lord  and 
which  has  been  fulfilled  long  ago?  Or  is  it  one 
of  many  judgments  which  have  been  going  on  till 
after  many  similar  judgments  the  final  great  judg- 
ment is  reached?  A  prominent  expositor  holds  to 
the  last  view  and  says  *  *  *  "God  makes  the  history 
of  the  world,  through  His  rule  over  all  creatures  in 
heaven  and  earth,  into  a  continuous  judgment,  which 
will  conclude  at  the  end  of  this  course  of  the  world 


CHAPTER   I.  61 

with  a  great  and  universal  act  of  judgment,  through 
which  everything  that  has  been  brought  to  eternity 
by  the  stream  of  time  unjudged  and  unadjusted,  will 
be  judged  and  adjusted  once  for  all,  to  bring  to  an 
end  the  whole  development  of  the  world  in  accord- 
ance with  its  divine  appointments,  and  perfect  the 
kingdom  of  God  by  the  destruction  of  all  his  foes."* 
According  to  this  view  the  locust  judgment  forms 
one  element  of  the  day  of  the  Lord.  Now  the  above 
quoted  words  may  sound  well  and  the  thought  ap- 
pear plausible,  but  the  view  is  far  from  being  the 
right  one.  The  Yom  Jehovah,  the  day  of  the  Lord, 
which  Joel  announces  in  this  brief  exclamatory 
verse  is  the  same  day  of  which  the  other  Prophets 
have  so  much  to  say.  It  is  that  great  coming  day 
with  its  attending  events,  which  will  bring  the  visi- 
ble manifestation  of  Jehovah,  preceded  by  tribu- 
lation and  wrath,  and  followed  by  judgment  as  well 
as  Righteousness,  Peace  and  Glory  for  this  earth. 

That  this  is  the  true  meaning  of  this  phrase  "the 
day  of  the  Lord"  is  learned  from  the  other  passages 
in  this  book  where  Joel  speaks  again  of  that  day. 
We  give  the  other  passages : 

Chapter  ii  :i,  2.  The  description  of  the  day  of  the 
Lord  in  these  words  corresponds  to  the  descriptions 
of  that  day  by  the  other  prophets;  for  instance, 
Zeph.  i:i5. 

*Keil. 


62  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

Chapter  ii:n.  From  these  words  it  is  still  more 
evident  that  the  great  and  terrible  day  in  which  the 
voice  of  Jehovah  will  be  heard  must  be  the  great 
day  in  which  the  Lord  appears  in  behalf  of  His 
people. 

Chapter  ii  131 ;  iii :  14-16.  These  last  two  passages 
establish  the  truth  of  our  assertion  beyond  a  doubt. 
The  accompanying  physical  signs,  the  darkening 
of  the  sun,  the  blood-red  moon,  the  shaking  of  the 
heavens  and  the  earth,  all  these  are  the  signs  which 
precede  the  visible  manifestation  of  the  Lbrd  in 
His  day  of  power  and  glory.  The  Book  of  Joel, 
therefore,  contains  five  passages  in  which  the  seer 
mentions  the  day  of  the  Lord ;  the  first  time  in  the 
verse  in  the  first  chapter,  which  we  have  under 
consideration.  The  description  of  the  day  of  the 
Lord  in  these  five  passages  is  progressive.  In  the 
first  passages  before  us  now  the  fact  that  the  day 
is  coming  is  mentioned,  and  what  that  day  is ;  what 
events  and  signs  come  before  and  what  follows  after 
is  revealed  in  the  other  passages. 

The  difficulty  appears,  however,  in  the  statement 
that  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  near.  From  this  some 
have  concluded,  inasmuch  as  that  great  day  was  not 
near  in  Joel's  day,  but  still  in  the  distant  future,  that 
Joel  spoke  of  another  day.  The  difficulty  is  com- 
pletely overcome  by  remembering  that  his  vision 


CHAPTER   I.  63 

starting  with  the  locust  calamity  in  his  own  day, 
concerns  the  last  days.  Of  his  predictions  it  is  true 
what  the  Lord  said  to  another  Prophet.  "For  the 
vision  is  yet  for  an  appointed  time,  but  at  the  end  it 
shall  speak,  and  lie  not;  though  it  tarry,  wait  for 
it,  because  it  will  surely  come,  it  will  not  tarry" 
(Hab.  ii:3).  Joel  giving  by  inspiration  a  descrip- 
tion of  what  is  to  come  upon  Israel's  land  in  the 
•future  when  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  near  speaks  of 
that  day  as  about  to  come.  As  already  stated  in  the 
midst  of  the  description  of  what  the  locusts  had 
done  to  the  land,  the  prophetic  type  of  Gentile  in- 
vasion and  destruction,  the  day  of  the  Lord  looms 
up  before  the  prophetic  vision  of  the  Prophet  and 
with  a  Woe !  he  announces  the  sure  coming  of  that 
day,  though  it  was  yet  afar  off. 

As  this  passage  is  one  of  the  first  in  which  God's 
Spirit  announces  the  great  day,  it  is  in  order  to 
show  how  the  prophets  after  Joel  had  visions  which 
enlarge  upon  Joel's  descriptions.*  This  we  may 


*The  statements  of  Higher  Criticism  that  the  later 
Prophets  copied  from  Joel  and  added  their  conceptions, 
etc.,  must  be  dismissed  as  contrary  to  the  inspiration 
of  the  Prophets.  Each  spoke  and  wrote  independently 
of  each  other.  They  did  not  copy  but  gave  revelations. 
The  unity  of  their  testimony  is  sufficient  evidence  of 
their  inspiration.  See  "Harmony  of  the  prophetic  Word" 
by  A.  C.  Gaebelein. 


64  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

well  do  for  these  visions  will  soon  be  all  fulfilled. 
God  is  going  to  do  what  He  promised  by  the  mouth 
of  all  His  holy  prophets.  We  see  that  long  prom- 
ised and  predicted  day  approaching  (Heb.  x:25). 

Isaiah.  This  great  Prophet  has  much  to  say  in 
his  vision  about  the  day  of  the  Lord.  He  describes 
through  the  Spirit  of  God  both  the  judgments  which 
are  connected  with  that  day  and  the  blessings  which 
will  come  for  Jerusalem  and  the  nations  as  well  as 
creation.  The  phrase  "in  that  day"  is  often  found 
in  this  Prophet.  We  recommend  the  reading  and 
literal  interpretations  of  a  few  passages  in  which 
Isaiah  speaks  of  this  day  of  the  Lord.  Chapters 
ii:2-5;  11:1022;  '11:16-26;  iv;  xi;  xii;  xiii  16-13; 
xxiv-xxvii ;  xxxiv ;  xxxv.  The  many  predictions  of 
Jerusalem's  blessing  and  restoration  of  Israel  as1 
found  in  chapters  liv,  Ix,  Ixi,  Ixii  and  others  stand 
all  in  relation  to  that  day. 

Jeremiah.  He,  too,  speaks  of  that  day  and  its 
related  events  though  his  great  mission  was  in  an- 
other direction.  Read  chapters  xxv  130-33;  xxx:i8- 
24. 

Ezekiel.  This  great  prophetic  book  has  much  to 
say  about  the  day  of  the  Lord.  Chapters  vii,  xxiv, 
are  especially  pointed  out.  From  chapters  xxxvii- 
xlviii  we  have  the  record  of  great  events  both  of 


CHAPTER   I.  65 

judgment  and  of  glorious  blessings,  which  will  be 
fulfilled  immediately  before  and  during  the  day  of 
the  Lord. 

Daniel.  While  this  Prophet  does  not  use  Joel's 
phrase  "the  day  of  the  Lord"  nearly  all  of  his 
great  prophecies  are  connected  with  that  great  day. 
The  history  of  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  is  found 
here  prewritten  as  well  as  their  end,  a  great  catas- 
trophe, in  the  day  when  the  stone  cut  out  without 
hands  falls  from  heaven  and  smites  the  image,  the 
typical  presentation  of  the  times  of  the  Gentiles. 
Chapter  ii. 

Hosea.  Hosea's  testimony  is  on  the  rejection  of 
Israel  and  Judah.  He  announces  also  the  day  of 
the  Lord.  Chapter  xi  19-1 1. 

Amos.  This  Prophet  prophesied  a  brief  time 
after  Joel,  and  he  likewise  gives  witness  of  the 
coming  day.  Chapters  i:2,  vi:3,  ix:n-i5. 

Obadiah.  He  lived  about  the  time  of  Joel. 
In  the  short  prophecy  he  wrote  he  speaks  of 
the  day.  Read  verse  15. 

Micah.  The  fifth  chapter  refers  in  part  to  the 
future.  Chapter  v:i5  is  "that  day." 

Nahum.  He  prophesied  about  the  wicked  city 
Nineveh,  a  prediction  of  how  God  will  deal  with 


66  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

the  wicked  cities  of  the  nations  in  a  future  day. 
Chapter  i:i-9. 

Habakkuk.  The  third  chapter,  that  marvelous 
revelation,  is  a  description  of  "that  day." 

Zephaniah.  He  speaks  almost  exclusively  of  the 
day  and  its  attending  manifestations.  Chapters 
i:i4~l8,  ii  and  iii. 

Haggai.  His  words,  chapter  ii  :6,  7,  concern  that 
day.  See  Hebrews  xii  126-29. 

Zechariah.  Here  we  find  a  very  complete  reve- 
lation of  the  great  coming  day.  A  careful  reading 
of  the  last  three  chapters  of  this  Prophet  of  glory 
will  show  the  constant  occurrence  of  these  three 
significant  words  "in  that  day."  It  is  most  inter- 
esting and  inspiring  reading,  a  complete  confirma- 
tion of  all  the  preceding  testimony  beginning  with 
Joel. 

Malachi.  The  coming  day  in  this  last  Old  Testa- 
ment prophetic  book  is  revealed  in  chapters  iii:i-3, 
iv:i-3. 

We  learn  from  all  this  what  a  prominent  place 
the  day  of  the  Lord  occupies  in  all  these  prophetic 
writings.  Joel  with  the  other  Prophets  beheld  that 
day  as  coming  from  the  Almighty.  The  Jehovah, 
who  is  to  be  manifested  in  that  great  day,  is  our 


CHAPTER    I.  67 

Lord  Jesus  Christ.  In  Him  and  through  Him  all 
these  judgments  will  be  carried  out  in  the  day  of 
His  second  coming.  The  Father  hath  committed 
all  judgment  to  the  Son  (John  v:22).  That  ap- 
pointed day  in  which  God  will  judge  the  world  in 
righteousness  by  that  man  whom  He  hath  ordained 
(the  Lord  Jesus  Christ)  is  rapidly  approaching 
(Acts  xvii:3i).  The  same  exalted  Lord  will  also 
bring  the  promised  blessing  in  that  day.  This  day 
of  the  Lord  of  whom  Joel  speaks  is  repeatedly 
mentioned  in  the  New  Testament.  It  always  con- 
cerns the  earth,  God's  ancient  people,  the  nations 
and  never  the  true  church.  The  day  of  Christ  as 
exclusively  revealed  in  the  New  Testament  is  the 
day  which  concerns  the  true  church  of  God,  the 
Body  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Before 
the  day  of  the  Lord  begins  as  well  as  before  the 
great  tribulation  sets  in,  the  church  will  go  to  her 
destined  home  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  All 
this  we  cannot  follow  here  in  its  blessed  details. 

Is  not  the  food  cut  off  before  our  eyes? 

From  the  house  of  our  God  joy  and  gladness. — (Verse 
16.) 

These  words  revert  to  the  calamity  which  had 
visited  the  land.  The  exclamation  of  the 
Prophet  contained  in  the  previous  verse,  in  which 
he  announced  the  coming  of  the  day  of  the  Lord, 


68  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

should  be  treated  as  a  parenthesis.  The  descrip- 
tion of  the  result  of  the  locust  invasion  is  taken 
up  again  and  the  prophet  does  not  continue  to 
speak  of  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord. 
This  verse  takes  together  in  two  sentences  all 
which  had  been  previously  mentioned.  The  phys- 
ical and  spiritual  want  of  the  land  and  the  people 
are  here  tersely  pictured.  There  was  no  food. 
As  we  learned  from  the  preceding  verses  the  lo- 
custs had  stripped  the  whole  land.  An  awful  fam- 
ine was  the  result  of  the  invasion.  The  different 
offerings  and  sacrifices  and  the  joy  and  gladness 
connected  with  them  (Deut.  xii:7,  xvirio,  n) 
had  come  to  an  end.  There  was  a  great  spiritual 
dearth.  All  this  predicted  the  future  condition  of 
the  land  and  the  people  as  it  has  been  and  still  is 
during  the  times  of  the  Gentiles,  so  often  an- 
nounced by  the  Prophets  of  God. 

The  prophetic  book  which  follows  Joel,  the 
Prophet  Amos,  announces  such  conditions  of 
the  people,  conditions  which  Joel  so  vividly 
and  briefly  pictures  as  having  come  upon  the 
land  of  Judah.  "I  will  turn  your  feasts  into 
mourning  and  all  your  songs  into  lamentation; 
and  I  will  hang  up  sackcloth  upon  all  loins,  and 
baldness  upon  every  head ;  and  I  will  make  it  as 
the  mourning  of  an  only  son,  and  the  end  thereof 


CHAPTER   I.  69 

as  a  bitter  day.  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the 
Lord  God,  that  I  will  send  a  famine  in  the  land, 
not  a  famine  of  bread,  nor  a  thirst  for  water,  but 
of  hearing  the  words  of  the  Lord ;  and  they  shall 
wander  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  North  even 
to  the  East,  they  shall  run  to  and  fro  to  seek  the 
Word  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  not  find  it"  (Amos 
viii:io-i2).  But  the  same  Prophet  also  announces 
that  this  sad  condition  of  the  people  is  to  undergo 
a  mighty  change.  "Behold  the  days  come,  saith 
the  Lord,  that  the  plowman  shall  overtake  the 
reaper,  and  the  treader  of  grapes  him  that  soweth 
seed ;  and  the  mountains  shall  drop  sweet  wine, 
and  all  the  hills  shall  melt.  And  I  will  bring 
again  the  captivity  of  my  people  Israel,  and  they 
shall  build  the  waste  cities,  and  inhabit  them; 
and  they  shall  plant  vineyards,  and  drink  the  wine 
thereof;  they  shall  also  make  gardens,  and  eat 
the  fruit  of  them.  And  I  will  plant  them  upon 
their  land,  and  they  shall  no  more  be  pulled  up 
out  of  their  land  which  I  have  given  them,  saith 
the  Lord  thy  God"  (Amos  ix:i3-i5).  And  Joel 
likewise  at  the  close  of  his  vision  speaks  of  the 
future  of  blessing,  which  awaits  Israel  in  the  com- 
ing age  when  their  land  will  be  prosperous  once 
more  and  joy  and  gladness,  spiritual  blessings  will 
be  restored  to  them. 


70  THE   BOOK   OF   JOEL. 

The  seeds  have  perished  under  their  clods. 
The  garners  become  desolate. 
The  storehouses  are  broken  down 
For  withered  is  the  corn. 
How  the  cattle  groan! 
The  herds  of  oxen  are  bewildered, 
For  there  is  no  feeding  place  for  them, 
Also  the  flocks  of  sheep  are  made  to  suffer. — (Verses 
17-18.) 

This  is  a  continued  description  of  the  great 
calamity.  It  seems  a  drought  at  the  same  time 
had  been  visited  upon  the  land  so  that  the  seed 
which  had  been  sown  could  not  spring  up,  it  per- 
ished under  the  clods.  There  was  no  prospect  for 
a  future  harvest.  In  consequence  of  this  the  gar- 
ners became  desolate  and  the  storehouses  were 
broken  down.  All  this  shows  the  greatness  of  the 
trouble  which  had  come  upon  the  people,  a  pro- 
phetic type  of  what  should  be  upon  future  gener- 
ations of  that  nation  on  account  of  their  unbelief 
and  disobedience.  Animal  creation  shared  in  this, 
as  it  has  shared  in  the  fall  of  man  and  suffers  with 
man  (Exodus  xii:29,  Jon.  iii:7).  The  cattle 
groaned,  which  reminds  us  of  the  blessed  words 
of  hope  for  groaning  creation  as  given  in  our 
great  epistle  to  the  Romans  (Rom.  viii  119-23). 
All  this  we  need  not  to  explain  further.  Two 
more  verses  and  we  have  reached  the  end  of  the 
first  part  of  the  prophecy  of  Joel. 


CHAPTER   I.  71 

V.    The  prayer  of  the  Prophet. 

"To  Thee,  Jehovah,  I  cry; 

For  the  fire  hath  consumed  the  goodly  places  of  the 
desert 

And  a  flame  hath  burned  all  the  trees  of  the  field. 

Also  the  cattle  of  the  field  look  up  unto  Thee, 

For  the  streams  of  water  are  dried  up, 

And  a  fire  hath  consumed  the  goodly  places  of  the 
desert." — (Verses  19,  20.) 

Besides  the  final  description  of  the  great  dis- 
tress, we  have  a  word  concerning  Joel  him- 
self. He  expresses  his  own  feeling  and  at- 
titude. It  is  but  one  sentence,  but  it  tells 
us  much'.  "To  thee,  Jehovah,  I  cry."  Joel  was  a 
man  of  prayer.  No  other  mention  is  made  by 
the  Prophet  of  his  own  person,  but  this  brief  word 
is  sufficient  to  give  us  a  glimpse  of  his  inner  life 
and  dependence  on  the  Lord.  In  the  midst  of 
the  distress,  when  misery  and  want  held  sway, 
when  the  cattle  of  the  field,  the  oxen  and  sheep 
groaned,  the  Prophet  cried  unto  Jehovah  as  His 
helper  and  knew  Him  as  his  refuge.  Such  a  spir- 
it of  prayer  and  dependence  characterized  every 
one  of  these  Prophets,  the  holy  men  of  God.  The 
Holy  Spirit  has  marked  this  often.  Habakkuk 
was  a  mighty  man  of  prayer,  full  of  faith  and 
courage  (Hab.  1:2;  iii:i,  16-19).  Daniel  prayed 


72  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

and  his  prayer  and  answer  are  recorded.  Jonah 
prayed  and  praised  in  the  belly  of  the  great  fish 
(Jonah  ii).  Micah  cried  out:  "Therefore,  I  will 
look  unto  the  Lord;  I  will  wait  for  the  God  of 
my  salvation;  my  God  will  hear  me"  (Micah  vii: 
7).  Joel  cried  to  the  Lord  and  appears  as  a  kind 
of  an  intercessor  in  behalf  of  his  stricken  land. 
He  is  representing  in  this  way  the  pious,  God- 
fearing part  of  the  nation.  God  always  reserved 
for  Himself  a  remnant  in  the  midst  of  His  earthly 
people,  a  remnant  which  still  trusts  in  Him  and 
in  His  Word.  This  is  true  of  all  periods  of  the 
great  history  of  God's  ancient  people.  In  the 
times  of  Elijah  when  that  prophet  thought  he  was 
left  alone,  God  had  seven  thousand  men  who  had 
not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal  but  worshipped  Je- 
hovah. The  New  Testament  tells  us  that  even 
at  this  time  there  is  a  remnant  according  to  the 
election  of  Grace.  In  Malachi's  day  the  corrup- 
tion of  the  nation  was  great,  yet  there  was  a 
trusting  and  believing  remnant.  "Then  they  that 
feared  the  Lord  spoke  often  one  to  another;  and 
the  Lord  hearkened,  and  heard  it,  and  a  book  of 
remembrance  was  written  before  Him  for  them 
that  feared  the  Lord  and  that  thought  upon  the 
Lord"  (Mai.  Hi  117).  It  will  be  so  in  the  future. 
The  last  days  of  dispersed  Israel  will  be  days  of 


CHAPTER   I.  73 

trouble.  The  great  tribulation  is  called  "the  time 
of  Jacob's  trouble."  Then  when  trouble  is  in  the 
land,  when  once  more  the  hand  of  the  Lord  will 
rest  heavy  upon  them  and  mighty  Gentile  ene- 
mies and  not  locusts,  as  we  shall  find  in  the  next 
chapter,  shall  invade  the  land,  then  a  faithful 
remnant  will  like  Joel  cry  unto  Jehovah  and  He 
will  answer  them.  Joel  in  his  attitude  of  depend- 
ence on  the  Lord  for  deliverance  represents  this 
faithful  remnant. 

We  sum  up  brieflj  the  contents  of  this  first 
chapter.  Joel  gives  an  inspired  description  of 
the  locusts,  which  had  in  their  four  stages 
through  which  they  passed,  laid  the  land  waste 
and  changed  the  beautiful  land  into  a  desolate  wil- 
derness. The  locusts  were  sent  as  a  judgment 
from  God  and  through  their  work  even  the  sacri- 
fices and  offerings  ceased,  so  that  Israel  was  desti- 
tute of  the  appointed  way  to  worship  God.  This 
locust  invasion,  though  a  literal  one,  has  a  pro- 
phetic meaning.  It  shows,  as  we  have  tried  to  ex- 
plain, the  times  of  the  Gentiles  during  which  Is- 
rael's land  suffers  in  the  same  way  and  the  judg- 
ment of  God  rests  upon  it. 

With  the  next  chapter  we  shall  learn  from  the 
Prophet's  vision  the  great  day  of  the  Lord,  which 
he  announced  so  briefly  in  the  first  part  of  his 
vision. 


CHAPTER  II. 

With  the  second  chapter  we  reach  the  heart  of 
the  great  prophecy  of  Joel.  The  description  of  the 
literal  locusts,  which  had  come  upon  the  land  and 
devoured  everything,  so  vividly  shown  in  the  first 
chapter,  is  not  continued  in  the  second  chapter. 
That  these  locust  swarms  in  their  different  stages 
prefigured  nations  who  were  to  come  in  upon  Is- 
rael's land  and  lay  everything  waste,  we  have 
learned.  Dispensationally  the  first  chapter 
would  stand  for  the  entire  times  of  the 
Gentiles.  These  began  with  Nebuchadnezzar 
(Dan.  11:36-38)  and  they  continue  till  the  time 
when  the  God  of  heaven  sets  up  a  kingdom 
which  shall  never  be  destroyed.  That  will 
be  when  the  stone  cut  out  of  the  moun- 
tain without  hands  falls  upon  the  kingdoms  and 
breaks  them  to  pieces,  in  other  words,  the  second 
Coming  of  Christ  (Dan.  ii:44,  45  and  Dan.  vii:i3, 
1-t).  During  these  times  of  the  Gentiles  Israel's 
land  is  the  prey  of  the  Gentiles  as  the  land  was  the 
prey  of  the  locusts  in  the  days  of  Joel.  This  is  why 
the  literal  locusts  are  made  so  prominent  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  vision  of  the  seer  of  the  Lord's  day. 


CHAPTER  II.  75 

In  our  study  of  the  first  chapter  we  learned  that 
in  the  midst  of  the  description  of  the  havoc  wrought 
by  the  locusts,  the  prophet  beheld  a  greater  judg- 
ment advancing  and  he  announced  in  a  single  ex- 
clamation the  Day  of  the  Lord.  The  prominence 
this  great  future  day,  when  Jehovah  is  mani- 
fested visibly,  occupies  in  the  different  prophetic 
books  we  have  seen.  The  description  of  that 
great  day  is  now  taken  up  in  the  vision  of  Joel. 
The  Day  of  the  Lord  is  the  burden  of  both  the  sec- 
ond and  third  chapters.  There  can  be  no  doubt  what- 
ever that  the  complete  fulfilment  of  what  Joel  de- 
scribes as  God's  Prophet  in  these  two  chapters  has 
not  yet  taken  place  and  that  its  accomplishment  falls 
in  the  time  of  the  great  day  of  the  Lord.  Before 
that  day  comes,  when  the  Lord  appears,  the  great- 
est distress  will  be  upon  the  land  and  the  people; 
there  will  be  a  time  of  trouble  such  as  never  was 
before  nor  ever  will  be  after  (Matt.  xxiv:2i).  The 
remnant  of  His  people  will  cry  to  the  Lord  for  in- 
tervention and  for  deliverance,  and  the  Lord  will 
answer  their  cry  and  come  to  deliver  His  people. 
As  a  result  of  His  coming  His  earthly  people  will 
be  delivered,  their  land  becomes  once  more  like  the 
garden  of  Eden,  there  will  be  a  great  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  and  from  Jerusalem  the  great 
centre  of  the  kingdom  the  blessings  will  extend  to 


;6  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

the  nations.  At  the  same  time  the  day  of  the  Lord 
will  mean  judgment  for  the  nations  who  have  dealt 
wickedly  with  His  earthly  people.  All  these  differ- 
ent events  which  group  themselves  around  the  day 
of  the  Lord,  both  before  and  after  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Lord  we  find  in  these  two  chapters,  the 
remainder  of  the  Book  of  Joel.  However,  with  this 
we  do  not  say  that  this  great  prophecy  had  no 
meaning  for  the  people  and  their  children  who 
listened  first  of  all  to  this  solemn  message.  It  was 
surely  meant  to  warn  the  people  of  a  great  trouble 
which  was  soon  to  come  upon  them.  A  great  inva- 
sion of  the  land  by  one  coming  from  the  North, 
the  Assyrian,  was  to  happen,  and  to  this  Assyrian 
invasion  the  prophecy  undoubtedly  referred  in  part 
at  least.  But  that  Assyrian  invasion,  which  is  made 
so  prominent  in  the  Book  of  Isaiah,  is  but  a  picture 
of  that  great  future  invasion  of  the  land,  when  the 
Assyrian  of  the  end-time  falls  into  Palestine.  The 
same  is  true  about  the  miraculous  deliverance  which 
Israel  in  the  past  experienced,  when  after  the  prayer 
and  repentance  of  the  people,  the  invading  army 
was  checked  and  in  one  night  an  end  was  made  of 
the  proud  army  of  Sennacherib  (Isa.  xxxvii:34- 
38).  It  is  a  prophetic  type  of  what  will  happen  to 
that  foe  who  comes  once  more  from  the  North  to 
spoil  the  people  at  the  end  of  the  age. 


CHAPTER  II.  77 

Most  interpreters  of  the  second  chapter  of  Joel 
maintain  that  he  still  pictures  locusts.  We  just 
say  a  brief  word  on  this.  The  word  "locust"  is  not 
mentioned  at  all  in  the  first  part  of  the  second  chap- 
ter. It  occurs  in  the  second  part  when  the  Prophet 
gives  the  predictions  of  restoration,  and  there  he 
declares  that  the  damage  of  the  locusts  is  to  be  re- 
paired and  that  the  Lord  will  restore  the  years 
which  the  locusts  have  eaten.  This  undoubtedly 
refers  to  a  return  of  the  fruitfulness  of  the  land; 
it  means  the  restoring  of  all  the  blessings  which 
the  land  had  forfeited  during  the  times  of  the 
Gentiles.  In  this  second  chapter  a  great  invading 
army  is  described  under  the  figure  of  the  locusts, 
which  in  their  large  numbers,  their  orderly  ad- 
vance, their  fearful  devastation  and  for  different 
other  reasons  are  well  adapted  to  prefigure  such 
an  army. 

The  scene  of  this  second  chapter  in  its  future 
fulfilment  is  during  that  time  of  trouble  which  pre- 
cedes the  glorious  manifestation  of  the  Lord.  It 
necessitates  the  restoration  of  a  part  of  the  people 
to  the  land  and  a  resumation  of  the  ancient  cere- 
monials, such  as  the  blowing  of  the  trumpets.  Such 
a  restoration  in  unbelief  is  indicated  in  the  pro- 
phetic Word  and  is  even  now  at  the  present  time  in 
process. 


78  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

The  chapter  before  us  contains  seven  parts,  giv- 
ing the  events  of  the  day  of  the  Lord  preceded  by 
trouble  and  bringing  blessing,  temporal  and  spiritual, 
to  His  earthly  people  Israel.  The  church,  the 
reader  will  understand  is  nowhere  mentioned,  nor 
even  indicated.  It  concerns  only  His  earthly  people, 
and  in  the  third  chapter  the  nations.  The  church 
is  no  longer  on  earth  when  these  mighty  events  take 
place,  but  she  is  to  be  manifested  with  the  Lord  in 
His  glorious  appearing. 

The  seven  parts  of  the  chapter  are  the  following : 

I.  The  sounding  of  the  alarm.    The  day  of  Je- 
hovah is  at  hand  (Verses  I,  2). 

II.  The  description  of  the  invading  army  from 
the  North.    Their  advance  and  the  destruction  it 
brings  (Verses  3-11). 

III.  The  second  blowing  of  the  trumpet.    The 
great  repentance  of  the  people,  the  prayer  to  Je- 
hovah to  spare  His  people  (Verses  12-17). 

IV.  The  prophetic  word  "Then."     The  great 
change  and  how  it  is  brought  about  (Verse  18). 

V.  Promises  of  Restoration  and  the  removal  of 
the  northern  army;  the  early  and  the  latter  rain. 
The  end  of  Israel's  tribulation.    They  are  never 
to  be  ashamed  (Verses  19-27). 


CHAPTER  II.  79 

VI.  The  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  upon  all  flesh. 
Wonders  in  heaven  and  on  earth  (Verses  28-31). 

VII.  Salvation  in  Jerusalem  and  in  Zion  for 
the  residue  whom  the  Lord  shall  call. 

I.  The  blowing  of  the  trumpet  in  Zion ;  the  day 
of  the  Lord  cometh. 

"Blow  the  trumpet  in  Zion 
And  sound  an  alarm  in  my  holy  mountain, 
Let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  tremble, 
Because  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh, 
For  it  is  near  at  hand. 

A  day  of  darkness  and  of  gloom, 

A  day  of  clouds  and  gross  darkness, 

As  the  dawn  spread  upon  the  mountains; 

A  great  people  and  a  strong; 

There  hath  not  been  ever  the  like, 

Neither  shall  be  any  more  after  them, 

To  the  years  of  many  generations." — (Verses  I,  2.) 

"The  day  of  Jehovah  cometh — it  is  at  hand"  is 
the  startling  announcement  the  prophet  makes 
again  in  this  chapter.  We  have  therefore  in  this 
chapter  and  the  third  chapter  a  description  of  the 
day  of  Jehovah,  when  He  comes  to  deliver  His 
earthly  people  out  of  the  hands  of  the  enemy  who 
invades  Israel's  land  in  the  latter  day,  when 
He  interferes  in  behalf  of  His  inheritance.  It 
bears  repeating  that  the  great  prophecy  which 


8o  THE  BOOK  OF  JO'EL. 

is  before  us  had  a  partial  fulfilment  in  the  past. 
The  Assyrian  power  which  fell  into  the  land  some 
time  after  this  prophecy  was  given  was  no  doubt 
the  primary  object  of  these  predictions,  but  never 
the  fulfilment  of  it.  Nor  was  the  promise  of  the 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  all  flesh  as 
mentioned  in  this  chapter  fulfilled  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  nor  has  it  been  fulfilled  since  that  day. 
The  day  of  Jehovah  alone  will  accomplish  all  that 
the  Prophet  Joel  beheld  in  this  and  the  following 
chapter.  It  is  well  to  be  positive  about  this,  for 
if  we  assume  that  future  events  are  fulfilled  or 
now  during  this  present  age  in  process  of  fulfil- 
ment, it  will  be  disastrous.  Our  object  in  our 
studies  is  therefore  to  look  at  that  great  end:  ful- 
filment of  the  vision  of  our  Prophet.  This 
is  both  interesting  and  timely.  We  stand  upon 
the  threshold  of  the  greatest  crisis  since  the  be- 
ginning of  the  age  and  we  see  more  and  more  that 
day  approaching  concerning  which  Joel  bears  wit- 
ness, though  we  shall  not  see  that  day  itself. 

The  chapter  covers  the  last  part  of  the  sec- 
ond half  of  the  7oth  week  of  Daniel's  great  proph- 
ecy. To  be  clear  and  help  such  of  our  readers, 
who  are  beginners  in  the  study  of  the  Word  of 
Prophecy  we  give  a  little  synopsis  of  the  7O-week 
prophecy  as  found  in  the  prophet  Daniel. 


CHAPTER  II.  81 

The  reader  will  please  turn  to  Daniel  ix  .'24-27. 
Here  we  read:  "Seventy  weeks  are  apportioned 
out  upon  thy  people  (Daniel's  people,  the  Jews) 
and  upon  thy  holy  city  (Jerusalem),  to  close  the 
transgression  and  to  make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to 
make  expiation  for  iniquity  and  to  bring  in  the 
righteousness  of  ages,  and  to  seal  the  vision  and 
the  Prophet,  and  to  anoint  the  Holy  of  Holies," 
Seventy  sevens  as  it  is  in  the  Hebrew,  each  week 
having  seven  years,  makes  490  years.  This  space 
of  time,  as  the  heavenly  messenger  declared,  is 
apportioned  out  for  the  people  Israel  and  Jerusa- 
lem and  at  the  close  of  it  the  full  blessing  will 
come  for  Israel.  The  term  "the  righteousness  of 
the  ages"  refers  to  that  age  which  we  term  the 
Millennium,  because  according  to  New  Testa- 
ment revelation  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  reign 
over  the  earth  with  His  saints  for  a  thousand 
years. 

Then  we  read  in  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  that 
these  70  weeks  or  490  years  are  divided  into  three 
parts.  First,  seven  weeks;  secondly,  sixty-two 
weeks ;  thirdly,  one  week.  What  does  this  divis- 
ion mean  ?  We  are  not  left  to  speculation  for  the 
Word  makes  it  plain. 

"Know  therefore  and  understand :  From  the  go- 
ing forth  of  the  Word  to  restore  and  to  build 


82  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

Jerusalem  unto  Messiah  the  Prince,  are  seven 
weeks  and  sixty-two  weeks.  The  street  and  the 
moat  shall  be  built  again,  even  in  troublesome 
times.  And  after  sixty-two  weeks  shall  Messiah 
be  cut  off,  and  shall  have  nothing;  and  the  people 
of  the  prince  that  shall  come  shall  destroy  the 
city  and  the  sanctuary;  and  the  end,  therefore, 
shall  be  with  an  overflow,  and  unto  the  end  war, 
the  desolations  determined"  (Dan.  ix:25,  2^)-  The 
first  seven  weeks  (49  years)  is  the  period  of  time 
which  elapsed  from  the  giving  of  the  command  to 
rebuild  Jerusalem  and  its  walls  till  this  was  ac- 
complished. The  commission  to  restore  and  build 
Jerusalem  was  given  to  Nehemiah  by  Artaxerxes 
in  his  twentieth  year.  The  sixty-two  weeks  (434 
years)  is  the  time  from  the  complete  restoration 
of  the  city  and  the  walls  till  Messiah  is  cut  off, 
that  is  the  death  of  Christ,  and  there  is  nothing 
for  Him.  His  own  people  rejected  Him  and  then 
in  consequence  of  that  rejection  the  city  and  the 
sanctuary  are  to  be  destroyed  by  the  people  of 
the  prince  that  shall  come.  Wars  and  desola- 
tions, persecutions  and  troubles,  bloodshed  and 
suffering  is  to  be  the  lot  of  the  Jewish  people  af- 
ter the  rejection  of  the  Messiah,  a  prophecy  given 
not  only  here,  but  throughout  the  prophetic 
Word. 


CHAPTER   II.  83 

How  solemnly  it  has  come  true  for  hundreds 
and  hundreds  of  years  is  sufficiently  verified  by 
the  history  of  the  Jews,  a  history  of  blood  and 
tears.  The  people  who  destroyed  the  city  and  the 
sanctuary  were  the  Romans.  Now  there  is  one  week 
left,  the  seventieth  week,  or  seven  years.  This 
week  has  not  yet  been.  When  at  the  end  of  the 
sixty-ninth  week  Messiah  was  cut  off  God's  mer- 
cy, it  is  true,  lingered  for  a  time  over  Jerusalem 
in  another  offer  of  what  they  had  rejected,  but 
another  age  had  begun.  The  Holy  Spirit  had 
come  to  earth  and  on  the  day  of  His  coming  the 
church,  that  mystery  hidden  in  former  ages,  be- 
gan. The  events  of  that  last  week  of  seven 
years  as  given  in  Daniel  ix,  were  never  fulfilled. 
Between  the  sixty-ninth  week  and  the  seventieth 
week  is  a  gap,  which  is  the  present  age.  As  soon 
then  as  God's  purpose  in  this  age  is  oc- 
complished  (the  calling  of  the  church,  which  is 
His  body,  the  fullness  of  Him  that  filleth  all  in 
all)  then  the  last  week  of  Daniel  will  come  to 
pass.  That  week  is  divided  into  two  parts,  twice 
three  and  a  half  years ;  the  second  half,  or  the  last 
three  years  and  a  half  are  called  the  great  tribula- 
tion and  towards  the  end  of  that  great  tribulation 
falls  the  history  and  fulfilment  of  our  chapter. 
The  last  chapter  of  the  prophet  Zechariah  covers 


84  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

about  the  same  period  only  it  gives  us  additional 
light  upon  these  great  coming  events. 

It  is  necessary  that  the  Jewish  people,  at  least  in 
part,  be  brought  to  the  land  before  all  these  events 
can  happen.  This  return  will  be  in  unbelief,  though 
in  the  midst  of  them  there  will  be  a  Godfearing  rem- 
nant, who  tremble  at  His  Word  (Is.  lxvi:5), 
and  who  suffer  intensely  in  that  evil  day. 
That  remnant  will  increase  and  become  more  and 
more  numerous  as  that  great  day  of  the  Lord 
draws  nearer.  One  in  the  power  of  Elijah  will 
witness  during  that  tribulation  period  as  it  is 
written,  "Behold  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the 
prophet,  before  the  coming  of  the  great  and 
dreadful  day  of  the  Lord.  And  he  shall  turn  the 
heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart 
of  the  children  to  their  fathers,  lest  I  come  and 
smite  the  earth  with  a  curse"  (Mai.  iv:5,  6).  All 
this  falls  into  the  last  seven  years. 

For  the  accomplishment  of  what  is  revealed  in 
our  chapter  a  partial  restoration  of  the  Jews  to 
their  land,  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple,  the  re- 
sumption of  the  sacrifices  and  the  exercise  of  the 
functions  of  the  priesthood,  the  different  cere- 
monies as  commanded  in  the  law  of  Moses  are 
absolutely  necessary.  But  we  may  add,  what  is 
one  of  the  most,  if  not  the  most  significant  sign 


CHAPTER  II.  85 

of  the  times,  that  such  a  return  of  the  Jews  as 
demanded  by  our  chapter  and  similar  other  por- 
tions of  prophecy,  is  at  present  going  on.  Not 
alone  has  the  way  been  opened  for  the  return  of 
thousands  of  Jews  to  the  land  of  their  fathers, 
but  Zionism  is  through  its  appointed  leaders  in 
closest  touch  with  the  Sultan,  who  seems  to  be 
ready  to  make  the  largest  concessions,  greater 
than  the  most  sanguine  Zionists  ever  dared  to 
hope.  The  national  establishment  of  a  part  of 
the  Jewish  race  upon  the  soil  of  Palestine  is  the 
tremendous  event  in  sight.* 

All  this  should  not  surprise  us,  for  the  time  for 
it  has  come,  but  it  ought  to  stir  our  hearts  as 
nothing  else.  Inasmuch  as  the  complete  restora- 
tion of  part  of  the  Jewish  people  cannot  come 
as  long  as  the  church  is  on  earth,  it  is  evident 
that  our  gathering  together  unto  Him,  to  meet 
Him  in  the  air  must  be  very  near. 

We  do  not  know  if  there  will  be  an  interval  be- 
tween the  rapture  of  the  church  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  last  week  of  Daniel,  and  if  there  is 
such  an  interval,  how  long  it  will  last,  we  do  not 
know  and  cannot  find  anything  in  the  Word  to 
warrant  statements,  which  are  often  made. 


*The    recent   young   Turk   movement    favors    Zionism 
and  has  pledged  itself  to  support  it. 


86  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

It  is  during  the  last  portion  of  that  pro- 
phetic period,  which  winds  up  the  Jewish  age, 
that  the  events  here  before  us  transpire. 

The  first  thing  mentioned  is  the  blowing  of  the 
trumpet  in  Zion,  the  sounding  of  the  alarm.  This 
was  an  Old  Testament  ceremony  commanded  to 
His  people  by  the  Lord.  "And  the  Lord  spake 
unto  Moses,  saying,  Make  thee  two  trumpets  of 
silver ;  of  a  whole  piece  shalt  thou  make  them ; 
that  thou  mayest  use  them  for  the  calling  of  the 
assembly,  and  for  the  journeying  of  the  camps" 
(Numbers  x:i,  2).  This  was  the  first  use  of  the 
trumpets.  Then  we  read  also:  "And  if  ye  go  to 
war  in  your  land  against  the  enemy  that  oppress- 
eth  you,  then  shall  ye  blow  an  alarm  with  the 
trumpets ;  and  ye  shall  be  remembered  before  the 
Lord  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be  saved  from  your 
enemies"  (Verse  9).  The  trumpets  were  to  be 
blown  by  the  priests;  they  are  therefore  here 
addressed.  The  blowing  of  the  trumpet  is  an  alarm 
because  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  about  to  come  and 
the  forerunner,  so  to  speak,  is  the  invading  army  of 
the  North. 

The  faith  of  the  pious  remnant  suffering  in  the 
midst  of  the  confusion  of  that  time,  when  the  false 
Christ  will  sit  in  the  temple  and  all  the  desolation 
and  abomination  will  be  in  the  midst  of  the  city, 


CHAPTER  II.  87 

will  lay  hold  of  that  gracious  promise  given  by  the 
Lord  that  He  will  remember  and  save  them  from 
their  enemies.  Indeed  the  time  is  then  come  to 
have  mercy  upon  Zion;  their  hour  is  come.  The 
alarm  is  to  be  sounded  as  the  sign  of  the  approach 
of  events  of  the  most  startling  character;  first  the 
invasion  of  a  mighty  army  and  next  the  interference 
of  Jehovah.  What  strange  and  often  ridiculous 
things  interpreters  will  say  on  such  passages  of 
Scripture  is  learned  when  one  reads  that  some  of 
the  expositors  declare  that  the  trumpets  were  blown 
with  a  strong  sound  to  "frighten  away  the  locust 
swarms  and  divert  their  flight  from  the  city  and  the 
surrounding  country." 

We  only  mention  that  trumpets,  the  sound  of 
the  trumpet,  etc.,  are  often  connected  with  the 
Theophany,  the  appearing  of  the  Lord.  We  read 
of  it  in  different  ways  and  in  Isaiah  it  is  written: 
"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that  the  great 
trumpet  shall  be  blown,  and  they  shall  come  that 
were  ready  to  perish  in  the  land  of  Assyria,  and 
the  outcasts  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
shall  worship  the  Lord  in  the  holy  mount  at  Jeru- 
salem" (Isaiah  xxvii:i3).  That  will  be  the  trum- 
pet blast  with  which  the  Lord  will  gather  His 
earthly  people  together  after  He  has  come. 

And  now  comes  a  more  detailed  description  of 


88  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

the  coming  day.  It  is  a  day  of  darkness  and  gloom, 
a  day  of  clouds  and  gross  darkness.  It  is  not  at  all 
necessary  to  think  of  the  literal  locusts  here.  It  is 
a  fact  that  these  locust  swarms  are  sometimes  so 
large  and  composed  of  such  an  enormous  multi- 
tude of  insects  that  they  obscure  the  light  of  the 
sun.  We  read  in  Exodus  x  that  Moses  said  when 
he  announced  the  plague  of  locusts  to  come  upon 
Egypt:  "And  they  shall  cover  the  face  of  the  earth 
that  one  cannot  be  able  to  see  the  earth."  And 
when  they  came  the  record  says:  "For  they  cov- 
ered the  face  of  the  whole  earth  so  that  the  land 
was  darkened"  (Exod.  xv:i5).  The  darkness  and 
the  gloom  as  well  as  the  clouds  are  symbolical  of 
the  solemnity  of  that  approaching  day. 

Darkness,  a  hidden  sun,  is,  as  we  know  from  the 
cross  of  our  ever  blessed  Lord,  a  symbol  of  divine 
wrath.  It  has  this  meaning  here;  the  clouds  of 
judgment  and  wrath  are  gathering  together,  the 
day  of  vengeance  is  at  hand.  We  must  likewise  re- 
member that  when  Jehovah  came  in  that  great 
manifestation  on  Mount  Sinai  it  is  written :  "Moses 
drew  near  unto  the  thick  darkness  where  God  was" 
(Exod.  xx:2i).  "And  ye  came  near  and  stood 
under  the  mountain ;  and  the  mountain  burned  with 
fire  unto  the  midst  of  heaven,  with  darkness,  clouds 
and  thick  darkness"  (Deut.  iv:ii). 


CHAPTER  II.  89 

David  by  the  Spirit  in  looking  back  to  that  past 
Theophany,  which  is  the  type  of  the  future  coming 
manifestation  of  Jehovah,  the  second  Coming  of 
Christ,  declares:  "He  made  darkness  His  secret 
place;  His  pavilion  round  about  him  were  dark 
waters  and  thick  clouds  of  the  sky"  (Psalms  xviii: 
n).  Still  another  prophet  announces  that  day  in 
the  same  terms.  "That  day  is  a  day  of  wrath,  a 
day  of  trouble  and  distress,  a  day  of  wasteness  and 
desolation,  a  day  of  darkness  and  gloominess,  a  day 
of  clouds  and  thick  darkness,  a  day  of  the  trumpet 
and  alarm  against  the  fenced  cities,  and  against  the 
high  towers"  (Zeph.  i:i5,  16).  In  Isaiah,  too,  we 
read  that  when  the  Lord  comes  "darkness  shall 
cover  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people" 
(Isaiah  lx:2).  The  meaning  then  is  clear.  Wrath, 
judgment,  confusion  is  symbolically  described  by 
these  terms,  while  no  doubt  when  the  day  of  Je- 
hovah begins,  a  literal  darkness  will  cover  the  earth. 

But  there  is  still  another  sentence  left  which  we 
have  not  explained.  That  day,  the  day  of  Jehovah 
will  be  like  "the  dawn  spread  upon  the  mountains." 
We  cannot  accept  the  thought  expressed  by  most  in- 
terpreters that  this  sentence,  "As  the  dawn  spread 
upon  the  mountains,"  must  be  brought  in  connec- 
tion with  "a  great  people  and  a  strong."  We  quote 
from  one  of  the  most  able  of  these  commentators. 


po  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

"The  subject  is  left  indefinite:  "Like  morning 
dawn  it  is  spread  over  the  mountains."  The  proph- 
et's meaning  is  evident  enough  from  what  follows. 
He  clearly  refers  to  the  bright  glimmer  or  splendor 
which  is  seen  in  the  sky  as  a  swarm  of  locusts 
approaches  from  the  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays 
from  their  wings."  In  a  footnote  he  quotes 
a  phenomenon  in  connection  with  the  locusts, 
which  evidently  bears  out  this  interpretation.  One 
Portuguese  monk,  Francis  Alvarez,  writes  that  the 
day  before  the  arrival  of  the  locusts  "we  could  infer 
that  they  were  coming,  from  a  yellow  reflection  in 
the  sky,  proceeding  from  their  yellow  wings." 

We  think  the  words  "as  the  dawn  spread  upon 
the  mountains"  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  de- 
scription of  the  invading  army,  though  that  army 
is  described  with  the  previous  literal  locust  plague 
in  view,  that  is,  under  the  type  of  a  locust  invasion. 
The  words  which  follow  "a  great  people  and 
strong,  there  has  not  been  ever  the  like,  neither 
shall  be  any  more  after  then,  to  the  years  of  gen- 
erations and  generations"  are,  we  take  it,  an  ex- 
clamation preparing  the  way  for  the  more  detailed 
description  of  the  invading  army. 

The  words,  "As  the  dawn  spread  upon  the  moun- 
tains," are  a  description  of  the  day  itself  and  not 
the  invading  army,  which  precedes  that  day.  On  the 


CHAPTER  II.  pi 

one  hand  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  a  day  of  darkness 
and  gloom,  a  day  of  clouds  and  gross  darkness; 
on  the  other  hand  it  is  a  day  "As  the  dawn  spread 
upon  the  mountains."  After  the  darkness  and 
gloom,  the  light  of  that  day  dawn  will  break.  Then 
it  will  be  "even  as  a  morning  without  clouds"  (2 
Sam.  xxiii:4).  Brightness,  light  and  glory  are  re- 
peatedly mentioned  in  connection  with  the  day  of 
Jehovah. 

II.    The  description  of  the  invading  army. 

A  fire  devoureth  before  them, 

And  behind  them  a  flame  burneth; 

Before  them  the  land  is  as  the  garden  of  Eden, 

And  behind  them  a  desolate  wilderness, 

Yea,  and  nothing  can  escape  them. 

Their  appearance  is  like  the  appearance  of  horses, 
And  like  the  horsemen  shall  they  run. 

Like  the  noise  of  chariots, 

On  the  mountain  tops,  they  shall  leap, 

Like  the  crackling  of  a  flame  of   fire  devouring  the 

stubble, 
Like  a  strong  people  set  in  battle  array. 

Before  them  the  peoples  are  in  distress 

All  faces  turn  to  paleness. 

They  run  like  mighty  men 

They  climb  the  wall  like  men  of  war; 

And  they  march  each  one  in  his  ways, 

And  they  turn  not  aside  from  their  ranks, 


92  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

Nor  doth  one  press  upon  another 

A  mighty  one  marches  in  the  highroad. 

They  fall  upon  the  dart,  but  are  not  wounded. 

They  spread  themselves  in  the  city, 

They  run  along  upon  the  wall, 

They  climb  up  into  the  houses, 

They  enter  in  by  the  windows  like  a  thief. 

The  earth  trembleth  before  them, 
The  heavens  shake, 
The  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened, 
And  the  stars  withdraw  their  shining. 

And  Jehovah  uttereth  His  voice  before  His  army 

For  His  camp  is  very  great; 

For  strong  is  He  that  executeth  His  Word 

For  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  great  and  very  terrible 

And  who  can  bear  it? — (Verses  3-11). 

Before  we  look  at  the  text  itself,  to  make  a  care- 
ful study  of  it,  we  shall  consider  this  invasion  in 
a  general  way.  A  mighty  army  not  of  locusts  but 
of  men  is  described  in  these  verses.  The  land 
was  spoiled  in  Joel's  day  by  the  literal  locusts, 
which  had  destroyed  everything,  and  now  an  actual 
army  is  announced  to  come  upon  the  land.  Many 
armies  have  marched  through  Israel's  land  in  the 
past  and  wrought  terrible  destruction.  How  truly 
may  Israel  say  what  is  written  in  Psalm  cxxix: 
"Many  a  time  have  they  afflicted  me  from 


CHAPTER  II.  93 

my  youth,  may  Israel  now  say;  many  a 
time  have  they  afflicted  me  from  my  youth; 
yet  they  have  not  prevailed  against  me. 
The  plowers  plowed  upon  my  back;  they  made 
long  their  furrows."  And  equally  may  they  de- 
clare "If  it  had  not  been  the  Lord  who  was  on  our 
side;  when  men  rose  up  against  us;  then  they  had 
swallowed  us  up  quick,  when  their  wrath  was  kin- 
dled against  us;  then  the  waters  had  overwhelmed 
us,  the  stream  had  gone  over  our  soul,  then  the 
proud  waters  had  gone  over  our  soul.  Blessed  be 
the  Lord,  who  hath  not  given  us  as1  a  prey  to  their 
teeth"  (Psalm  cxxix:2-6).  Verily  it  has  been  true 
and  will  ever  be  true  "No  weapon  that  is  formed 
against  thee  shall  prosper;  and  every  tongue  that 
shall  rise  against  thee  in  judgment  thou  shalt  con- 
demn" (Isaiah  Iv:i7).  But  who  of  the  many  en- 
emies of  God's  beloved  earthly  people  is  here  meant? 
As'  we  have  already  stated  the  Assyrian.  This  great 
enemy  of  God's  chosen  people,  how  he  was  used 
of  God  as  an  instrument  to  discipline  His  people, 
how  God  dealt  with  him,  is  mentioned  prominently 
in  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah.  But  the  Assyrian,  as  he 
came  upon  Israel  in  the  past,  is  a  prophetic  type  of 
a  more  powerful  Northerner,  the  Assyrian,  who 
invades  the  land  and  besieges  Jerusalem  immedi- 


94  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

ately  before  the  Lord  comes  in  great  power  and 
glory. 

Many  believers  in  the  prernillennial  coming  of  the 
Lord  and  the  restoration  of  Israel  do  not  see  clear- 
ly in  regard  to  this  last  great  enemy  and  therefore 
much  is  hazy.  Generally  people  speak  simply  of 
the  Anti-Christ  and  all  passages  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment which  speak  of  invaders  and  enemies  of 
Israel  are  classed  as  predicting  the  Anti-Christ. 
This1  is  far  from  being  correct.  The  Anti-Christ 
will  not  be  the  only  person  acting  under  satanic 
impulses  and  powers  during  the  last  week  of  Dan- 
iel. There  is  another  head,  the  head  of  the  revived 
Roman  Empire.  Daniel  vii  123-27;  1x127.  He 
is  mentioned  in  the  book  of  Revelation  as 
the  beast  rising  out  of  the  sea  and  also 
ascending  out  of  the  bottomless  pit.  The 
Anti-Christ  is  a  different  person  from  the  first 
beast;  he  is  seen  rising  out  of  the  earth  and  has 
two  horns  like  a  lamb  and  speaks  like  a  dragon 
(Rev.  xiii:n).  Of  him  we  read  in  Isaiah  xxx:33; 
Daniel  xi:36,  and  in  other  passages  we  read  of 
him.* 


*The  reader  will  find  a  chapter  in  our  "Harmony  of 
the  Prophetic  Word"  devoted  to  these  different  persons 
and  the  part  they  will  play  in  the  end-time. 


CHAPTER   II.  95 

Then  there  will  be  the  last  Assyrian  coming  from 
the  North.  While  the  first  beast  will  be  the 
head  of  the  political  power  and  confederacy  of  na- 
tions and  the  Anti-Christ,  the  man  of  sin  will  be  in 
Jerusalem  and  take  his  place  in  the  temple  and  by 
lying  wonders  show  himself  that  he  is  God,  the 
Assyrian  will  come  from  the  outside  and  come 
against  the  people  and  Jerusalem.  Isaiah  xxix:i-8 
gives  us  a  description  of  this  siege.  Zechariah  xiv : 
1-6  gives  the  same  prediction  and  shows  how  the 
Lord  will  intervene.  Of  his  end  we  read  also  in 
Daniel  xi:45. 

There  is  likewise  the  description  of  Gog  and  Ma- 
gog in  Ezekiel  xxxviii  and  xxxix.  In  all  this  we 
cannot  enter  fully  here. 

The  Assyrian  coming  from  the  North  will  make  a 
terrible  invasion  and  lay  siege  to  Jerusalem  tow- 
ards the  end  of  the  great  tribulation.  It  will  be, 
indeed,  the  heights  of  that  time  of  Jacob's  trouble, 
for  while  the  Anti-Christ  is  inside  tormenting  the 
people,  the  Assyrian  will  be  outside.  Most  instruc- 
tive is  the  tenth  chapter  in  Isaiah.  While  it  refers 
to  the  Assyrian,  who  came  to  Israel's  land,  it  is  a 
perfect  picture  of  what  will  happen  in  the  future. 
Notice  six  parts  in  Isaiah  x:5  to  the  close  of  the 
chapter. 

I.  A  description  of  the  Assyrian  (Verses  5-11). 


p6  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

He  is  described  as  the  instrument  which  God  uses 
to  punish  Israel.  He  is  the  rod  of  God's  anger  and 
God  sends  him  against  a  hypocritical  nation.  2. 
The  punishment  of  the  Assyrian  is  announced 
(Verses  12-15).  The  time  for  the  punishment  is1 
when  the  Lord  hath  performed  His  whole  work 
upon  Mount  Zion  and  Jerusalem.  This  shows  that 
it  must  be  in  the  future.  3.  The  Punishment  it- 
self (Verses  16-19).  ^  w^^  be  sudden  and  com- 
plete. 4.  The  Return  of  the  remnant  of  Israel  is 
promised  (Verses  20-23).  Then  there  is  the  Word 
of  Comfort  to  the  Remnant  (Verses  24-27).  6. 
A  vivid  description  of  the  march  of  the  Assyrian 
against  Jerusalem  and  the  intervention  of  the  Lord 
(Verses  28-34).  Sennacherib's  army  completely 
overthrown  in  the  presence  of  Jerusalem  is  a  pro- 
phetic picture  of  what  will  happen  to  the  last  Assy- 
rian. In  Isaiah  xiv:25  we  read:  "I  will  break  the 
Assyrian  in  my  land,  and  upon  my  mountains  tread 
him  under  foot ;  then  shall  his  yoke  depart  from  off 
them,  and  his  burden  depart  from  off  their  shoul- 
ders." Again  God  says  concerning  this  mighty 
army  of  the  Assyrian  in  his  terrible  onslaught 
against  Jerusalem :  "Moreover,  the  multitude  of  thy 
strangers  shall  be  like  small  dust,  and  the  multitude 
of  the  terrible  ones  shall  be  as  chaff  that  passeth 
away ;  yea,  it  shall  be  at  an  instant  suddenly.  Thou 


CHAPTER   II.  97 

shalt  be  visited  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  with  thunder, 
and  with  earthquake,  and  great  noise,  with  storm 
and  tempest,  and  the  flame  of  devouring  fire.  And 
the  multitude  of  all  the  nations  that  fight  against 
Ariel  (Jerusalem),  even  all  that  fight  against  her 
and  her  munition,  and  that  distress  her,  shall  be  as 
a  dream  of  a  night  vision"  (Isaiah  xxix:5~7).  We 
find  this 'Assyrian  also  mentioned  in  Micah  v:5. 

The  army  which  Joel  beholds  in  the  beginning  of 
the  second  chapter  coming  against  Jerusalem  is  the 
Assyrian,  approaching  from  the  North.  This  is  clear- 
ly seen  from  the  2oth  verse,  where  we  read,  "And  I 
will  remove  far  off  from  you  him  that  cometh  from 
the  North"  Joel  ii:2o;  Isaiah  x;  xxix:i-7;  Zech- 
ariah  xiv,  and  similar  passages  should  be  carefully 
studied  together,  for  they  give  us  the  same  event 
only  each  in  a  different  way.  And  now  we  turn  to 
a  study  of  the  details  as  given  in  these  verses. 

In  the  third  verse  we  read  that  a  fire  devoureth 
before  them  and  behind  them  a  flame  burneth.  The 
expositors  who  apply  all  this  to  literal  locusts  have 
great  difficulty  to  explain  the  meaning  of  these 
words.  There  is  no  such  difficulty  if  we  look  upon 
the  entire  description  as  having  nothing  more  to 
do  with  the  literal  swarms  of  locusts,  which  de- 
vastated the  land  as  we  saw  in  the  first  chap- 
ter. An  army  of  invaders  uses  the  torch;  be- 


98  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

fore  them  and  behind  them  the  fire  burns.  Such 
scenes  of  devastation,  burning  down  castles,  coun- 
try residences,  villages,  etc.,  were  lately  seen  in  the 
revolutionistic  outbreaks  in  Russia.  Of  greater  dif- 
ficulty are  the  words  "Before  them  the  land  is  as 
the  garden  of  Eden,  and  behind  them  a  desolate 
wilderness."  According  to  this  Israel's  land  will 
have  to  be  again  in  a  prosperous  condition,  be  like 
the  garden  of  Eden.  That  this  will  be  the  future 
condition  of  Palestine  is  predicted  in  the  prophetic 
Word  elsewhere.  "For  the  Lord  shall  comfort 
Zion;  He  will  comfort  all  her  waste  places,  and  He 
will  make  her  wilderness  like  Eden  and  her  desert 
like  the  garden  of  the  Lord  .  .  ."  (Isaiah  li:4).  In 
the  great  restoration  chapter  of  the  Prophet  Eze- 
kiel,  that  is  chapter  xxxvi,  we  find  a  similar  proph- 
ecy. "And  they  shall  say,  This  land  that  was  deso- 
late is  become  like  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  the 
waste  and  the  desolate  and  ruined  cities  are  be- 
come fenced,  and  are  inhabited"  (Ezek.  xxxvi  135). 
These  two  prophecies  tell  us  that  Palestine  will 
be  the  garden  spot  of  the  earth.  Just  as  the  Lord 
had  made  the  garden  of  Eden  the  choicest  place 
in  all  His  creation,  for  Adam  and  his  wife  to 
enjoy,  so  in  the  coming  age  Israel's  land  will  be 
the  most  blessed,  the  most  beautiful,  the  most  glori- 
ous of  all  the  lands  of  the  earth.  Of  this  Proph- 


CHAPTER   II.  99 

ecy  has  much  to  say.  But  this  glorious  condition 
of  the  land  will  be  the  result  of  the  second  Coming 
of  Christ  and  also  the  changes  which  take  place  in 
the  land  itself,  such  as  are  indicated  in  Zechariah 
xiv  14-10.  In  our  passage  here  in  Joel  the  statement 
that  the  land  is  like  the  garden  of  Eden  does  not  re- 
fer to  that  prosperous  condition,  which  will  Be  dur- 
ing the  Millennium.  The  events  pictured  here  are 
premillennial,  preceding  the  Coming  of  the  Lord. 
The  easiest  way  to  dismiss  the  difficulty  would  be,  as 
some  have  done,  by  saying  that  the  words  are  a 
mere  figure  of  speech  to  describe  the  great  havoc 
which  this  army  works.  This  does  not  satisfy  us. 
We  believe  that  the  land  of  Israel,  Palestine,  will  be 
really  in  a  prosperous  condition  when  the  army 
from  the  North  comes  upon  it.  The  land  will 
enjoy  once  more  great  prosperity  and  will  be  the 
center  of  commerce  and  influence,  so  that  the  Jews 
will  call  it  their  "garden  of  Eden."  Everything 
that  God  has  promised  and  that  which  He  will  do  is 
more  or  less  imitated  by  Satan.  Before  the  true 
time  of  peace  and  righteousness  comes,  called  the 
Millennium,  and  brought  about  by  the  coming  of 
the  Prince  of  Peace,  the  devil  will  have  a  mock 
millennium.  He  is  now  at  this  very  thing,  and  ere 
long  there  will  be  something  on  earth  which  looks 
like  universal  peace,  when  people  will  say  "Peace 


ioo  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

and  Safety."  So  the  enemy  imitates  the  true  res- 
toration of  Israel  by  a  counterfeit  restoration. 
The  Zionistic  movement  has  not  only  paved  the  way 
for  this  but  is  that  restoration  itself.  Palestine  is 
soon  to  be  the  center  of  commerce  and  widespread 
influence.  Jewish  capital,  uncountable  in  its  mil- 
lions, is  ready  to  back  up  the  great  national  scheme. 
Agriculture  and  colonization  is  doing  much  for  the 
land.  But  recently  we  read  that  around  Jaffa  the 
smell  from  the  blossoms  of  the  large  orange  groves 
was  so  strong  that  people  were  obliged  to  close 
their  windows.  There  is  a  wonderful  progress 
noticeable  throughout  that  land.  As  soon  as  the 
land  becomes  more  populated  by  its  true  owners 
(which  may  be  the  question  of  a  few  years),  and 
colonization  and  irrigation  advances,  as  well  as  with 
the  accomplishment  of  planned  commercial  enter- 
prises, the  land  will  become  for  the  Jews  "like  the 
garden  of  Eden."  It  will  be  at  that  time  when  the 
restoration  in  unbelief,  the  proud,  self  confident 
schemes  of  the  still  unbelieving  people  will  be  an 
accomplished  fact,  that  the  greatest  calamity  that 
land  ever  saw  will  come  upon  it.  This  calamity, 
preceding  the  visible  manifestation  of  Jehovah,  is 
here  described.  The  invading  army  from  the 
North,  the  northern  enemy  of  Israel,  will  lay  the 
land  waste  and  desolate  once  more.  It  is  a  signifi- 


CHAPTER  II.  101 

cant  fact  that  the  great  northern  power,  the  Russian 
Empire,  not  only  is  the  enemy  of  Israel  but  also  has 
great  aspirations  for  Palestine  and  Jerusalem. 

There  is  no  need  to  follow  the  description  of  this 
invading  army  in  detail.*  The  description  is  very 
graphic.  The  artillery  is  described,  as  well  as  the 
chariots.  Their  march  in  battle  array,  how  they  ad- 
vance in  perfect  order.  They  climb  walls,  climb 
into  the  houses  and  into  the  windows.  The  distress 
of  the  people  is  pictured ;  all  faces  turn  to  paleness. 
We  also  read,  "A  mighty  One  marches  in  the  high- 
road ;"  they  will  have  a  leader. 

The  last  two  verses  of  the  section  under  con- 
sideration need  some  further  attention. 

"The  earth  trembleth  before  them, 

The  heavens  shake, 

The  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened, 

And  the  stars  withdraw  their  shining. 

And  Jehovah  uttereth  His  voice  before  His  army, 

For  His  camp  is  very  great; 

For  strong  is  he  that  executeth  His  Word, 

For  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  great  and  very  terrible, 

And  who  can  bear  it?" 

These  words  make  the  interpretation  that  literal 
locusts  are  meant  well  nigh  an  impossibility.  Yet 
an  attempt  has  been  made,  while  others  have  said 
that  Joel  merely  describes  a  storm  which  came  when 

*Compare  also  with  Rev.  ix. 


102  THE  BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

the  trouble  had  reached  its  height  and  put  an  end 
to  the  locust  plague.  The  trembling  earth,  the 
shaking  of  the  heavens,  darkened  sun,  moon  and 
stars  are  always  mentioned  in  connection  with  the 
manifestation  of  the  Lord.  "Therefore  will  I  shake 
the  heavens,  and  the  earth  shall  remove  out  of  her 
place,  in  the  wrath  of  the  day  of  the  Lord"  (Is. 
xiii:i3).  "At  His  wrath  the  earth  shall  tremble" 
(Jerem.  x:io).  Similar  words  are  found  in  Ezek. 
xxxii:7-8;  Isaiah  xxiv  119-23;  Matthew  xxiv:29- 
For  this  reason  the  words  here  in  Joel  must  mean 
these  physical  signs  of  the  approaching  day  of  Je- 
hovah. This  is  evident  because  in  these  verses  the 
day  of  Jehovah  is  mentioned ;  "the  day  of  Jehovah 
is  great  and  very  terrible  and  who  can  bear  it?" 
With  the  great  invasion,  the  fearful  troubles  which 
will  then  rest  upon  the  land  and  the  people,  out- 
ward signs  will  herald  the  day  itself.  The  army 
from  the  North  is  but  an  indication  that  the  day  of 
Jehovah  is  not  far  hence;  the  trembling  earth,  the 
shaking  and  darkened  heavens  announce  something 
far  greater  which  is  going  to  happen.  Jehovah's 
voice  will  be  heard.  That  the  invading  army  is 
called  "His  army"  and  that  they  execute  His  Word 
or  command  is  to  be  explained  by  the  former  Assy- 
rian power,  which  was  used  to  humiliate  the  nation. 
In  Isaiah  x:5~6  we  read  the  address  of  the  Lord 


CHAPTER   II.  103 

to  the  Assyrian  power.  "O  Assyrian,  the  rod  of 
mine  anger,  and  the  staff  in  their  hand  is  mine  in- 
dignation. I  will  send  him  against  a  hypocritical 
nation,  and  against  the  people  of  my  wrath  will  I 
give  him  a  charge  to  take  the  spoil  and  to  take  the 
prey,  and  to  tread  them  down  like  the  mire  of  the 
streets."  The  Lord  used  the  Assyrian  as  an  ax  to 
hew  down  the  pride  of  His  people  (Isaiah  x:i5). 
When  the  Lord  announced  to  the  prophet  Habakkuk 
that  He  would  punish  His  apostate  people,  He  said, 
"For,  lo,  I  raise  up  the  Chaldeans,  that  bitter  and 
hasty  nation,  which  shall  march  through  the  breadth 
of  the  land,  to  possess  the  dwelling  places,  that 
are  not  theirs"  (Hab.  i:6).  Then  follows  a  descrip- 
tion similar  to  the  description  of  the  invading  army 
in  Joel's  prophecy.  The  prophet  Habakkuk  in  an- 
swering Jehovah  said,  "O  Lord  thou  hast  ordained 
them  for  judgment"  (Hab.  i:i2). 

God  used  these  nations  for  a  purpose,  in  the 
punishment  of  His  people  and  when  the  Assyrian 
was  lifted  up  with  pride,  He  broke  him  to  pieces. 
In  the  same  way  will  the  northern  army,  the  last 
Assyrian,  be  an  instrument  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
against  His  people  and  in  this  sense  they  will  be 
"His  army"  and  "execute  His  Word."  But  when 
the  Lord  appears  He  will  deal  with  these  enemies 
of  Israel  on  account  of  their  wickedness.  Zechar- 


io4  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

iah  xii:2-3  will  then  be  fulfilled.  "Behold  I  will 
make  Jerusalem  a  cup  of  trembling  unto  all  the 
people  round  about,  when  they  shall  be  in  the  siege 
both  against  Judah  and  against  Jerusalem.  And 
in  that  day  will  I  make  Jerusalem  a  burdensome 
stone  for  all  people ;  all  that  burden  themselves  with 
it  shall  be  cut  in  pieces,  though  all  the  people  of  the 
earth  be  gathered  against  it." — "Then  shall  the  Lord 
go  forth  and  fight  against  those  nations  as  when  He 
fought  in  the  day  of  battle.  And  his  feet  shall 
stand  in  that  day  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives"  (Zech. 
xiv:3,  4). 

After  the  description  of  the  invading  army,  the 
great  calamity  at  the  close  of  the  great  tribulation 
which  is  still  in  store  for  Israel's  land  and  the  people 
we  find  in  our  chapter  a  solemn  appeal  of  the  Lord 
to  the  people  to  repent  and  the  people's  response 
to  that  appeal. 

III.  The  second  blowing  of  the  trumpet.  The 
great  repentance  of  the  people,  the  prayer  to  Je- 
hovah to  spare  His  people  (Verses  12-17). 

Yet  even  now,  saith  Jehovah, 

Return  unto  me  with  all  your  heart, 

With  fasting  and  with  weeping  and  with  mourning. 

And  rend  your  heart  and  not  your  garments, 
And  return  unto  Jehovah  your  God, 


CHAPTER   II.  105 

For  He  is  gracious  and  merciful, 

Slow  to  anger  and  of  great  loving  kindness, 

And  repenteth  Him  of  the  evil. 

Who  knoweth.    He  may  return  and  repent, 

And  leave  a  blessing  behind, 

An  oblation  and  a  drink  offering, 

For  Jehovah  your  God. — (Verses  12-14.) 

This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  portions  of 
this  chapter.  Jehovah  calls  once  more  to  His  people 
to  repent.  The  word  "return"  means  "to  turn 
about,"  repent.  This  has  been  the  call  of  Jehovah 
to  His  people  Israel  in  the  past.  Moses  and  the 
prophets  exhorted  the  people  in  Jehovah's  name  to 
turn  unto  Him  and  promised  to  the  nation  the 
greatest  blessing.  Then  the  Lord  appeared  in  their 
midst,  His  message  was  to  the  nation,  "Repent  for 
the  Kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  This  message 
he  gave  to  His  disciples.  After  Pentecost  there  was 
a  second  appeal  to  the  nation  to  repent.*  But  Israel 
rejected  these  gracious  appeals  and  calls  of  the 
Lord.  They  fell  and  through  their  fall  salvation 
has  come  to  the  Gentiles  (Rom.  xi:n).  During 
the  present  age,  salvation  being  offered  to  the  Gen- 
tiles and  the  church  being  formed,  the  Jewish  na- 
tion as  such  is  in  a  blinded,  impenitent  state,  wan- 


*See  our  exposition  of  Acts  iii  in  "Our  Hope." 


io6  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

derers  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  The  ortho- 
dox Jews  read  the  great  penitential  psalms  and  have 
in  their  rituals  sublime  prayers  of  repentance,  cloth- 
ed in  perfectly  scriptural  language  and  yet  there  is 
no  true  repentance  and  returning  unto  the  Lord. 
And  a  great  part  of  the  Jewish  people  have  rejected 
even  these  outward  forms  and  have  completely 
apostatized  and  become  unbelievers.  But  there  will 
come  a  time  when  a  remnant  of  these  will  return 
unto  the  Lord.  The  unbelieving  impenitent  part 
of  the  nation  will  be  cut  off  by  judgments  during 
the  great  tribulation.  It  is  a  mistake  to  think  that 
all  the  Jews  will  repent  and  become  heirs  of  the 
promises;  still  more  serious  is  the  teaching  one 
meets  so  often  in  these  days  that  "all  Israel  shall 
be  saved"  does  not  only  mean  all  living  Israelites 
believing  and  unbelieving,  but  that  it  also  includes 
past  generations  who  died  in  unbelief.  During  the 
awful  period,  the  time  of  Jacob's  trouble,  with  its 
attending  judgments  the  nation  will  be  sifted  and 
immense  numbers  will  be  carried  off  the  earth.  This 
is  clearly  revealed  in  prophecy.  "And  I  will  purge 
out  from  among  you  the  rebels,  and  them  that  trans- 
gress against  me,  I  will  bring  them  forth  out  of  the 
country,  where  they  sojourn  and  they  shall  not 
enter  into  the  land  of  Israel  and  ye  shall  know  that 
I  am  the  Lord"  (Ez.  xx:38).  "And  it  shall  come 


CHAPTER  II.  107 

to  pass,  that  in  all  the  land,  saitK  the  Lord,  two 
parts  therein  shall  be  cut  off  and  die,  but  the  third 
shall  be  left  therein"  (Zech.  xiii:8,  9).  Only  the 
third  part  in  the  land  will  be  left.  The  rest  will  be 
carried  off  in  judgment. 

A  part  of  the  nation  will  return  unto  Jehovah; 
it  will  be  during  the  great  tribulation.  "I  will 
go  and  return  unto  my  place  till  they  acknowledge 
their  offence,  and  seek  my  face;  in  their  affliction 
they  will  seek  me  early.  Come  and  let  us  return 
unto  the  Lord;  for  He  hath  torn  and  He  will  heal 
us;  He  hath  smitten  and  He  will  bind  us  up"(Hosea 
v:i5;  vi:i).  In  this  fundamental  passage  we  read 
that  Jehovah  was  in  the  midst  of  His  people;  He 
left  them  and  went  back  to  His  place.  This  was 
fulfilled  when  the  Lord  Jesus  was  in  their  midst 
and  left  them  returning  to  His  place,  to  the  Father 
from  whom  He  came.  But  He  has  not  gone  to  be 
there  forever.  There  is  a  limit  given.  "Till  they 
acknowledge  their  offence  and  seek  my  face."  This 
means  the  repentance  of  the  remnant  of  His  people. 
Furthermore,  we  have  the  time  specified  when  they 
will  acknowledge  their  offence  and  seek  His  face. 
It  will  be  "in  their  affliction";  this  means  the  great 
coming  affliction,  Jacob's  trouble  (Jeremiah  xxx:4- 
9).  Then  their  prayer  of  repentance  is  recorded; 
"come  and  let  us  return  unto  the  Lord."  To  this 


io8  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

same  time  refers  Jehovah's  appeal  to  His  people 
here  in  Joel's  prophecy.  We  also  notice  that  there 
is  a  two-fold  returning  mentioned.  The  Lord  says, 
"Return  unto  me,"  and  the  Lord  will  also  return 
unto  them,  "He  may  return  and  repent."  This  re- 
turn of  the  people  and  the  returning  of  the  Lord 
to  them  is  mentioned  in  other  parts  of  the  Word. 
It  stands  in  connection  with  the  future  events 
among  that  people.  For  instance  in  Deut.  xxx:i-4, 
we  have  a  great  prophecy  of  the  dispersion  of  the 
people  Israel  among  all  nations.  This  reaches  be- 
yond the  Babylonian  captivity  and  is  the  present 
dispersion  of  God's  ancient  people.  Then  we  read 
the  condition  of  their  regathering.  It  is,  "return 
unto  the  Lord"  (verse  2).  But  there  we  read  also 
that  the  Lord  will  return  unto  them.  "Then  the 
Lord  thy  God  will  turn  thy  captivity,  and  have  com- 
passion upon  thee,  and  will  return  and  gather  thee 
from  all  the  nations  whither  the  Lord  thy  God 
hath  scattered  thee"  (Deut.  xxx:3).  In  the  last 
prophetic  book  with  which  the  Old  Testament 
closes,  this  vital  statement  is  made  again.  ''Return 
unto  Me,  and  I  will  return  unto  you,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts"  (Mai.  iii:7).  Many  other  passages  could 
be  quoted  which  speak  of  the  returning  remnant  of 
Israel  in  true  repentance  and  of  the  Lord  who 
returns  unto  them.  "The  remnant  shall  return,  the 


CHAPTER  II.  109 

remnant  of  Jacob  unto  the  mighty  God.  For 
though  thy  people  Israel  be  as  the  sand  of  the  sea, 
yet  a  remnant  of  them  shall  return;  the  consump- 
tion decreed  shall  overflow  with  righteousness" 
(Is.  x  121-22).  This  passage  we  mention  especially 
for  it  is  in  connection  with  the  invasion  of  the 
Assyrian,  the  same  power  which  Joel  saw  prophet- 
ically invading  the  land. 

This  coming  return  of  the  people  is  to  be  genu- 
ine. They  are  not  to  rend  their  garments,  but  their 
hearts.  The  rending  of  the  garments  was  an  out- 
ward sign  of  excessive  grief.  This  custom  pre- 
vailed among  other  nations  likewise.  In  the  Word 
of  God  we  find  it  mentioned  in  Gen.  xxxvii:34; 
Numb.  xiv:6;  Josh.  vii:6;  2  Sam.  iii:3i;  I  Kings 
xxi:27;  2  Kings  xxii:n;  Job  ii:i2;  Ezra.  ix:3. 
Yet  this  impressive  custom,  tearing  a  part  of  the 
garment  covering  the  chest,  was  often  nothing  but 
an  outward  ceremony.  Their  repentance  is  to  be 
deeper,  a  real  heart  return  unto  the  Lord.  The 
words : 

"For  He  is  gracious  and  merciful, 

Slow  to  anger  and  of  great  loving  kindness, 

And  repenteth  Him  of  the  evil," 

refer  us  to  Exo.  xxxiv:5-9.  Moses  had  a  marvel- 
lous revelation  of  the  Lord.  He  descended  in  a 
cloud,  and  made  known  the  name  of  the  Lord.  His 


i  io  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

graciousness  and  mercifulness  is  declared  and  that 
He  is  "abundant  in  goodness  and  truth."  This  is 
what  has  been  revealed  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Here  in  Joel  is  added  "He  repenteth  Him 
of  evil."  Compare  with  Exo.  xxxii:i4  and  2  Sam. 
xxiv:i6.  But  the  passage  in  Exodus  is  here 
brought  especially  to  our  notice  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
because  there  is  mention  made  of  something  which 
refers  us  to  the  Return  of  the  Lord  to  be  revealed 
to  His  earthly  people  and  thereby  to  heal  and  to 
restore  them.  When  Moses  had  heard  this  great 
declaration  of  Jehovah's  name  by  Jehovah  who  had 
descended  in  a  cloud,  he  said :  "If  now  I  have  found 
grace  in  thy  sight,  O  Lord,  let  the  Lord.  I  pray  thee, 
go  among  us ;  for  it  is  a  stiffnecked  people ;  and  par- 
don our  iniquity  and  our  sin,  take  us  for  thine  in- 
heritance" (Exo.  xxxivx}).  When  the  Lord  re- 
turns then  the  iniquity  and  sin  of  Israel  will  be 
pardoned.  The  quotation  from  Exo.  xxxiv.  here  in 
Joel  is  a  reminder  that  Moses'  burning  desire  will 
then  be  fulfilled. 

The  fourteenth  verse  expresses  the  hope  of  the 
repenting  people.  The  Lord  will  return  and  leave  a 
blessing  behind.  However  their  faith  does  not 
reach  up  to  the  promises  of  God.  They  expect  only 
temporal  blessing,  which  will  make  it  possible  to 
bring  an  oblation  and  drink  offering. 


CHAPTER  II.  ill 

But  there  will  be  much  more. 

Blow  the  trumpet  in  Zion, 
Sanctify  a  fast. 

Call  out  a  solemn  assembly, 
Gather  the  people. 
Sanctify  a  congregation. 
Assemble  the  old  men. 
Gather  the  children, 
And  those  that  suck  the  breasts; 
Let  the  bridegroom  leave  his  chamber, 
And  the  bride  her  closet; 

Let  the  priests  the  ministers  of  Jehovah, 

Weep  between  the  porch  and  the  altar 

And  let  them  say: — 

"Spare  Thy  people,  O  Jehovah, 

And  give  not  thine  heritage  to  reproach. 

That  the  nations  should  rule  over  them, 

Wherefore  should  they  say  among  the  peoples, 

Where  is  their  God?" — (Verses   15-17.) 

Once  more  the  trumpet  is  to  be  blown  in  Zion. 
This  second  blowing  of  the  trumpet  is  different 
from  the  blowing  in  the  beginning  of  the  chapter. 
There  it  is  to  sound  the  alarm  on  account  of  the 
impending  trouble,  here  it  is  to  call  the  people 
together  for  a  fast  and  a  solemn  assembly.  It  is 
the  response  to  Jehovah's  loving  appeal,  ''return 
unto  Me  with  all  your  heart."  The  people  gather 
then  in  a  great  congregation  to  weep  and  mourn 
and  to  cry  to  Jehovah  for  deliverance.  All  classes 


ii2  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

are  called  together,  the  old  men  as  well  as  the 
children  and  even  the  suckling.  In  Deut.  xxiv  15  we 
read :  "When  a  man  hath  taken  a  new  wife,  he  shall 
not  go  out  to  war,  neither  shall  he  be  charged  with 
any  business,  but  he  shall  be  free  at  home  one  year, 
and  shall  cheer  up  his  wife,  which  he  hath  taken." 
But  here  this  law  is  not  followed.  The  bridegroom 
and  the  bride  must  join  the  solemn  assembly  and 
fast  and  pray  with  the  rest  of  the  people.  This 
then  will  be  a  great  national  lament  and  calling  to 
the  Lord  for  deliverance.  When  at  last  the  deliverer 
comes  and  is  revealed  out  of  heaven,  the  event  will 
be  followed  by  another  mourning.  Zechariah  xii:Q- 
14  gives  us  a  description  of  that  event.  The  mourn- 
ing is  on  account  of  Him  whom  they  have  pierced. 
It  is  that  which  Revelation  i:/  mentions':  "Behold, 
He  cometh  with  clouds;  and  every  eye  shall  see 
Him,  and  they  also  which  pierced  Him  and  all 
kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  Him. 
Even  so.  Amen."  Here  in  Joel  it  is  a  repentance 
and  prayer  for  deliverance  which  precedes  the 
manifestation  of  the  pierced  One.  The  language  of 
the  priests  is  especially  mentioned.  This  shows  that 
the  order  and  service  of  the  priests  will  be  resumed 
during  Israel's  final  struggle  and  at  their  final 
deliverance.  The  words  of  prayer,  "Give  not  thine 
heritage  to  reproach,  that  the  nations  should  rule 


CHAPTER  II.  113 

over  them,  wherefore  should  they  say  among  the 
peoples',  Where  is  their  God?"  are  not  found  here 
exclusively.  In  other  parts  of  the  prophetic  Word 
we  read  of  prayers  against  the  triumph  of  the 
nations.  The  great  leader  of  the  people  Israel, 
Moses,  was  the  first  to  employ  similar  words  in 
pleading  for  the  disobedient  people  (Exod. 
xxxii:i2).  God  had  promised  Israel  that  they 
should  be  rulers  over  the  nations ;  "thou  shalt  re:gn 
over  many  nations,  but  they  shall  not  reign  ever 
thee"  (Deut.  xv:6).  But  when  they  were  dis- 
obedient then  "He  gave  them  into  the  hands  of  the 
nations ;  and  they  that  hated  them  ruled  over  them" 
(Ps.  cvi:4i).  Prophecy  concerning  their  dispersion 
and  shame  among  the  nations  has  found  its  literal 
fulfilment.  "And  I  will  deliver  them  to  be  re- 
moved into  all  the  kindgoms  of  the  earth  for  their 
hurt,  to  be  a  reproach  and  a  proverb,  a  taunt  and 
a  curse,  in  all  places  whither  I  shall  drive  them" 
(Jer.  xxiv:9).  At  last  they  will  acknowledge  this. 
In  that  great  prophetic  Psalm,  the  forty-fourth, 
which  precedes  the  Psalm  in  which  the  King  is 
seen  appearing  in  majesty,  we  read  this:  "Thou 
makest  us  a  reproach  to  our  neighbors,  a  scorn  and 
a  derision  to  them  that  are  round  about  us.  Thou 
makest  us  a  byword  among  the  nations,  a  shaking 
of  the  head  among  the  people"  (Ps.  xliv:i3-i4). 


ii4  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

Now  the  great  mass  of  Jews  believe  that  they  are 
not  scattered  on  account  of  their  disobedience ;  that 
it  is  rather  an  honor  than  a  dishonor  to  be  among 
the  nations.  But  the  day  which  is  described  in  this 
prophecy  is  the  day  when  they  will  acknowledge 
their  judgment  and  plead  with  Jehovah  for  deliver- 
ance. "Wherefore  should  the  nations  say,  Where 
is  now  their  God?"  (Ps.  cxv:2). 

"Help  us,  O  God  of  our  salvation,  for  the  glory 
of  Thy  name,  and  deliver  us  and  purge  away  our 
sins,  for  Thy  name's  sake.  Wherefore  should  the 
nations  say,  Where  is  their  God?  Let  Him  be 
known  among  the  nations  in  our  sight  by  the  re- 
venging of  the  blood  of  Thy  servants  which  is 
shed"  (Ps.  lxxix:9-io).  Many  similar  prayers,  be- 
sides the  great  prayer  in  Isaiah  (chapter  Ixiii:i7 
and  Ixiv)  could  be  quoted.  In  fact,  many  of  the 
prayers  for  deliverance  and  punishment  of  the  ene- 
mies which  are  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Psalms,  and 
so  wrongly  claimed  by  the  rituals  of  Christendom, 
are  all  the  .prayers  of  the  believing  and  returning 
remnant  of  Israel  in  the  end  of  the  age. 

IV.  The  prophetic  word  "Then."  The  great 
change  and  how  it  is  brought  about.  (Verse  18.) 

Then  Jehovah  will  be  jealous  for  His  land, 
And  will  have  pity  on  His  people. —  (Verse  18.) 

With  this  verse  we  reach  the  great  turning  point 


CHAPTER  II.  113 

in  Joel's  prophecy.  Up  to  this  verse  we  have  seen 
nothing  but  disaster,  calamity  and  judgments. 
Literal  locusts  had  devoured  the  land.  These  were 
types  of  nations  which  should  prey  upon  Israel's 
land.  The  last  great  trouble  was  then  seen  by  the 
prophet,  and  it  resulted  in  the  repentance  of  the  rem- 
nant of  Israel.  No  sooner  have  they  acknowledged 
their  offences  and  cried  to  the  Lord,  then  the  Lord 
will  answer  them.  When  the  nations  once  more  fall 
upon  His  people,  when  Gentile  world  powers  in  their 
domineering  and  arrogant  pride  rise  up  against  the 
people  Israel,  when  their  power  is  gone  (Deut. 
xxxii:36)  and  they  turn  with  their  hearts  unto  the 
Lord,  then  He  will  be  jealous  for  His  land  and  will 
pity  His  people.  The  same  prophecy  we  find  in  the 
great  post-exile  prophet  Zechariah.  When  the  na- 
tions are  at  ease  and  help  forward  the  affliction  of 
His  people,  then  the  Lord  is  going  to  be  jealous  for 
Jerusalem  and  for  Zion  with  a  great  jealousy  (Zech. 
i:i2-i7).  How  often  the  little  word  "then"  is 
found  in  the  prophetic  Word  marking  the  great 
change  from  Israel's  judgment  and  rejection  to  de- 
liverance and  glory  we  cannot  follow  here.  The 
following  passages  may  be  examined  in  connection 
with  the  i8th  verse  of  our  chapter.  Is.  xiv.25; 
xxiv:23;  xxxii:i6;  xxxv:$,  6;  lviii:8,  14;  lx:5; 
Ixvi:l2;  Ezek.  xxviii  125-26 ;  etc. 


n6  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

The  personal  manifestation  of  the  Lord  is  here 
not  mentioned,  nor  is  it  anywhere  else  in  this 
prophet.  But  when  He  rises  up  to  deliver  His 
people  and  to  answer  their  prayers,  He  is  manifested 
in  person.  "Then  shall  the  Lord  go  forth  and  fight 
against  those  nations,  as  when  He  fought  in  the  day 
of  battle.  And  His  feet  shall  stand  in  that  day  upon 
the  mount  of  Olives,  which  is  before  Jerusalem" 
(Zech.  xiv:3-4).  "When  the  Lord  shall  build  up 
Zion,  He  shall  appear  in  Glory"  (Ps.  cii:i6).  The 
first  step  towards  the  building  up  of  Zion,  the  res- 
toration of  all  things  as  revealed  by  the  prophets, 
will  be  when  the  Lord  answers  the  cries  of  His 
people  and  when  He  deals  with  their  enemies;  He 
will  answer  them  by  His  own  personal  and  glorious 
appearing.  Thus  will  be  fulfilled  what  is  written 
in  Isaiah  lx:2.  "For,  behold,  the  darkness  shall 
cover  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people ;  but 
the  Lord  shall  rise  on  thee  and  His  glory  shall  be 
seen  upon  thee." 

The  two  actions  of  the  Lord  in  Joel  ii  :i8  are  Je- 
hovah's jealousy  and  Jehovah's  pity.  The  jealousy 
will  be  vengeance  upon  His  enemies,  which  are  the 
enemies  of  Israel;  His  mercy  will  return  to  His 
downtrodden  people  and  the  land,  so  significantly 
called  "Immanuel's  land"  (Is.  viii:8).  The  day  of 
vengeance  will  then  have  come,  but  also  the  blessed 


CHAPTER  II.  117 

day  when  comfort  will  be  given  to  them  that  mourn, 
to  give  them  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for 
mourning,  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of 
heaviness  (Is.  lxi:2-3).  Moses  in  his  great  pro- 
phetic song  (Deut.  xxxii)  speaks  of  the  Lord's 
jealousy  and  His  mercy.  At  the  close  of  his  testi- 
mony the  Spirit  of  God  declares,  "Rejoice,  O  ye 
nations,  with  His  people;  for  He  will  avenge  the 
blood  of  His  servants,  and  will  render  vengeance 
to  His  adversaries,  and  will  be  merciful  to  His  land 
and  to  His  people"  (Deut.  xxxii  143).  The  Lord 
arises  and  His  divine  intervention  will  make  an  end 
of  the  enemies.  "The  Lord  shall  go  forth  as  a 
mighty  man,  He  shall  stir  up  jealousy  like  a  man 
of  war;  He  shall  cry,  yea,  roar;  He  shall  prevail 
against  His  enemies"  (Is.  xlii:i3).  Many  more 
predictions  relating  to  this  great  event,  written  in 
the  prophetic  books  and  in  the  Psalms,  might  be 
quoted  here.  They  will  be  fulfilled  when  the  Lord 
comes  in  power  and  glory.  The  prayer  in  Isaiah 
Ixiii:i5  will  then  be  answered.  "Look  down  from 
heaven,  and  behold  from  the  habitation  of  Thy  holi- 
ness and  of  Thy  glory.  Where  is  Thy  zeal  and  Thy 
strength,  the  soundings  of  Thy  bowels  and  of  Thy 
mercies  toward  me  ?  Are  they  restrained  ?"  Then 
the  Lord  will  be  jealous  for  His  land  and  will  have 
pity  on  His  people. 


ii8  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

V.  Promises  of  Restoration  and  the  removal  of 
the  northern  army;  the  early  and  the  latter  rain. 
The  end  of  Israel's  tribulation.  They  are  never 
to  be  ashamed.  (Verses  19-27.) 

And  Jehovah  will  answer  and  say  to  His  people: 

Behold  I  am  sending  to  you  the  corn, 

The  new  wine  and  the  oil, 

And  ye  shall  be  satisfied  therewith, 

And  I  will  no  longer  make  you, 

For  a  reproach  among  the  nations. 

And  I  will  remove  afar  from  you  the  One  from  the 

North, 

And  will  drive  him  into  a  dry  and  desolate  land, 
His  face  toward  the  Eastern  sea, 
His  rear  toward  the  Western  sea, 
And  his  stench  shall  rise, 
And  his  ill  odor  shall  ascend, 
For  he  hath  lifted  himself  up  to  do  great  things. 

—  (Verses    19,   20.) 

And  now  we  have  the  comfortable  words  in  detail. 
What  Jehovah  will  answer  to  His  people  is  now 
fully  made  known.  He  will  send  the  corn,  the  new 
wine  and  the  oil.  Earthly  blessings  will  come  upon 
them  again.  Israel's  land  will  become  once  more 
the  fruitful  land,  yea,  more  fruitful  than  ever  before. 
There  is  no  need  to  spiritualize  these  terms,  corn, 
new  wine  and  oil.  We  must  leave  them  stand  as 
they  are.  The  promise  is  the  same  as  in  the  Prophet 


CHAPTER  II.  119 

Hosea.  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  I 
will  hear,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  hear  the  heavens, 
and  they  shall  hear  the  earth;  and  the  earth  shall 
hear  the  corn,  and  the  wine  and  the  oil,  and  they 
shall  hear  Jezreel"  (Hos.  ii  121-22).  To  the  herdsman 
of  Tekoa,  Amos,  was  given  the  same  promise.  "Be- 
hold, the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  the  plow- 
man shall  overtake  the  reaper,  and  the  treader  of 
grapes  him  that  soweth  seed;  and  the  mountains 
shall  drop  sweet  wine,  and  all  the  hills  shall  melt. 
And  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  my  people 
Israel,  and  they  shall  build  the  waste  cities,  and  in- 
habit them  ;  and  they  shall  plant  vineyards,  and  drink 
the  wine  thereof ;  they  shall  also  make  gardens,  and 
eat  the  fruit  of  them.  And  I  will  plant  them  upon 
their  land,  and  they  shall  no  more  be  pulled  up  out 
of  their  land  which  I  have  given  them,  saith  the 
Lord  thy  God"  (Amos  ix:  13-15).  The  reproach 
which  they  were  among  the  nations  will  then  cease. 
Scattered  in  the  corners  of  the  earth  they  became  a 
reproach  and  a  byword.  But  Israel's  calling  is  to  be 
the  head  among  the  nations  (Deut.  xxviii:i3).  This 
will  be  realized  in  that  coming  day,  when  the  Lord 
will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  His  people.  Then 
the  reproach  will  be  removed.  "Neither  will  I  cause 
to  hear  in  thee  the  shame  of  the  heathen  any  more, 
neither  shalt  thou  bear  the  reproach  of  the  people 


120  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

any  more,  neither  shalt  thou  cause  thy  nation  to  fall 
any  more,  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah"  (Ez.  xxxvius). 
Then  the  Lord  will  restore  double  to  His  people. 
"For  thou  shalt  break  forth  on  the  right  hand  and 
on  the  left,  and  thy  seed  shall  inherit  the  Gentiles, 
and  make  the  desolate  cities  to  be  inhabited.  Fear 
not !  for  thou  shalt  not  be  ashamed ;  neither  be  thou 
confounded;  for  thou  shalt  forget  the  shame  of  thy 
youth,  and  shalt  not  remember  the  reproach  of  thy 
widowhood  any  more"  (Is.  liv:3-4). 

A  number  of  interpreters,  in  fact  nearly  all,  claim 
that  God  fulfilled  these  promises  when  the  remnant 
of  Israel  came  back  from  Babylon.  But  such  an  in- 
terpretation is  impossible  on  account  of  certain 
words.  "No  longer" — "any  more" — "no  more!" 
After  the  Babylonian  captivity  blessings  came  upon 
the  returning  remnant,  but  now  again  they  are  scat- 
tered in  the  great  dispersion.  When  they  are  re- 
gathered  and  blest,  then  they  will  no  longer  be  a 
reproach,  they  will  no  more  be  scattered,  they  shall 
no  more  be  plucked  out  of  their  land. 

The  2Oth  verse  shows  another  great  action  of 
Jehovah.  By  His  power  and  in  His  manifesta- 
tion He  will  remove  far  the  One  from  the  North, 
that  is  the  northern  army,  the  Assyrian  of  the  end- 
time.  Thus  He  broke  the  Assyrian  once  and  over- 
threw his  proud  army.  So  He  will  do  in  the  future 


CHAPTER   II.  121 

when  the  One  from  the  North  will  trouble  Israel 
again.  Some  who  hold  to  the  literal  locust  theory, 
that  the  locust  invasion  is  meant,  claim  that  locust 
swarms  come  sometimes  from  the  North,  and  that 
heavy  winds  carry  these  insects  into  the  sea.  Such 
a  meaning  is  impossible.  It  is  said  of  the  One  from 
the  North,  "for  he  hath  lifted  himself  up  to  do  great 
things."  This  could  not  mean  locusts,  but  it  is  de- 
scriptive of  the  pride  of  the  Assyrian.  (See  Hab. 
i:io-n  and  Is.  x:io-i5.)  The  end  of  the  invader 
will  be  a  terrible  one;  he  will  be  driven  into  the 
land  of  desolation  and  not  into  the  Dead  sea  or  the 
Mediterranean  sea. 

Fear  not,  O  Land, 

Be  glad  and  rejoice, 

For  Jehovah  doeth  great  things. 

Fear  not,  ye  beasts  of  the  field! 

For  the  pastures  of  the  desert  spring  forth, 

The  tree  beareth  her  fruit, 

The  fig  tree  and  the  vine  give  their  strength. 

—  (Verses  21,  22.) 

And  now  the  land  is  addressed  not  to  fear  but  to 
rejoice  and  be  glad.  Even  the  beasts  of  the  field 
are  thus  addressed,  for  they  are  to  share  the  bless- 
ings which  will  then  come  from  the  Lord.  The  trees 
once  more  bear  fruit.  The  figtree  and  the  vine  give 
their  strength.  Jehovah  Himself  doeth  all  these 


122  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

things.     By  His  own  merciful  power  He  brings  it 
to  pass. 

All  these  wonderful  things  in  store  for  Israel  and 
Israel's  land  as  revealed  in  these  great  prophecies 
are  Jehovah's  doings.  The  land  is  to  be  glad  and  to 
rejoice  "for  Jehovah  doeth  great  things."  (Verse 
21.)  To  that  Jehovah,  whose  gifts  and  calling  are 
without  repentance  (Rom.  xi:29),  the  Jewish  people 
must  look  in  the  end  for  deliverance  and  flee  to  Him 
in  true  repentance.  When  that  is  the  case,  as  our 
exposition  has  shown,  the  Lord  will  be  jeal- 
ous for  His  land  and  pity  His  people.  (Verse  18.) 
But  now  they  are  very  far  from  that,  with  perhaps 
a  very  small  number  among  them,  who  still  expect 
relief  and  blessing  by  the  coming  of  the  promised 
Messiah.  They  look  to  their  own  strength  and  wis- 
dom. Zionism,  human  leaders  and  at  present  the 
"young  Turk  movement"  are  the  foundations  upon 
which  their  hopes  rest.  These  foundations  will  all 
be  swept  away  during  the  time  of  great  tribulation. 
"Their  feet  shall  slide  in  due  time;  for  the  day  of 
their  calamity  is  at  hand,  and  the  things  that  shall 
come  upon  them  shall  make  haste"  (Deut.  xxxii  135) . 
This  is  the  prediction  given  through  Moses  concern- 
ing that  time  when  disaster  overtakes  them.  But 
when  they  see  "that  their  power  is  gone"  (Deut. 
xxxii  136),  and  they  look  to  Jehovah  and  cry  to  Him 


CHAPTER  II.  123 

out  of  their  distress,  He  will  answer  them  and  arise 
in  all  His  majestic  power  to  deliver  His  heritage. 
"See  now  that  I,  even  I  am  He,  and  there  is  no  god 
with  me.  I  kill  and  I  make  alive;  I  wound  and  I 
heal,  neither  is  there  any  that  can  deliver  out  of  my 
hands."  The  last  stanza  of  Moses'  great  song,  after 
the  day  of  their  calamity  is  passed,  reveals  the  same 
blessing  for  the  land  and  restoration  of  His  people, 
as  seen  by  Joel.  "Rejoice  O  ye  nations,  with  His 
people;  for  He  will  avenge  the  blood  of  His  ser- 
vants, and  will  render  vengeance  to  His  adversaries, 
and  will  be  merciful  unto  His  land  and  to  His  peo- 
ple." (Verse  Deut.  xxxii:43.) 

Ye  children  of  Zion,  be  glad  and  rejoice 

In  Jehovah  your  God; 

For  He  giveth  you  the  early  rain  in  righteousness, 

He  causeth  to  descend  for  you  the  showers 

The  early  and  latter  rain  as  before. — (Verse  23.) 

The  children  of  Zion,  which  means  the  in- 
habitants of  the  land,  will  then  rejoice  and  be  glad. 
Their  joy  will  be  in  the  Lord,  who  has  arisen  and 
had  mercy  on  Zion.  The  rain  is  especially  men- 
tioned. The  early  and  latter  rain  as  before  comes 
again  upon  the  land.  In  the  next  verses  the  result 
of  the  rain  is  described,  that  is,  a  return  of  the 
former  fruitfulness  of  the  land. 


124  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

This  phrase  "the  early  and  latter  rain"  has  of  late 
been  strangely  misapplied.  It  has  been  claimed  that 
the  terms  early  and  latter  rain  have  a  spiritual  signi- 
ficance. The  early  rain,  it  is  said,  means  the  first 
day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  was  poured 
out.  The  "latter  rain"  these  people  tell  us,  is  an- 
other Pentecost,  a  greater  manifestation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  The  early  rain,  they  teach,  took  place 
in  the  beginning  of  the  age  and  now  as  the  age  is 
about  to  close  the  latter  rain  is  falling.  This  latter 
rain  consists,  according  to  their  conception,  in  a 
restoration  of  "pentecostal  gifts,"  and  is  evidenced 
by  being  able  to  talk  in  different  tongues.  To  what 
sorts  of  fanaticism  and  delusion  this  fantastic  in- 
terpretation (if  it  can  be  called  that),  has  led  we  do 
not  follow  now. 

Nowhere  in  the  Bible  is  there  warrant  for  us  to 
believe  that  "the  early  and  latter  rain"  has  a  spiritual 
significance.  To  say  that  the  early  rain  and  the 
latter  rain  typify  blessings  and  manifestations  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  peculiar  to  the  opening  of  this 
present  age  and  to  its  close,  is  extremely  fanciful 
and  cannot  be  verified  by  the  Scriptures.  It  is 
strange  that  even  men  who  seem  to  possess  consid- 
erable light  have  endorsed  this  kind  of  exposition, 
which  has  worked  such  harm  among  so  many  Chris- 
tian people.  There  is  absolutely  no  prediction  any- 


CHAPTER  II.  125 

where  in  the  New  Testament,  that  the  present  age 
is  to  close  with  "a  latter  rain"  experience,  a  time 
when  the  Holy  Spirit  again  is  poured  out  and  that 
in  greater  measure.  This  age,  according  to 
divine  revelation,  ends  in  apostasy  and  com- 
plete departure  from  God  and  His  truth 
(2  Thess.  ii:3-i2).  After  the  Holy  Spirit 
came  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  for  the  formation  of 
the  church,  the  body  of  Christ,  there  is  nowhere  to 
be  found  a  promise  in  the  church  epistles  that 
another  outpouring  is  to  take  place,  by  which  a  part 
of  the  church  is  to  get  into  possession  again  of  the 
different  sign  gifts.  The  enemy  of  souls  has  made 
good  use  of  these  distorted  teachings  to  bring  in 
his  most  subtle  delusions. 

Now  what  then  is  the  meaning  of  "the  early  and 
latter  rain?"  It  has  a  purely  literal  meaning  with 
absolutely  no  spiritual  significance  or  application. 
God  gave  to  His  earthly  people  promises  of  earthly 
blessings.  The  land  He  has  given  to  them  as  a  pos- 
session was  a  fruitful  land,  a  land  "flowing  with 
milk  and  honey."  The  early  and  latter  rain  were 
periodical  rainfalls  in  great  abundance  on  which 
the  fruitfulness  of  the  land  depended.  They  fell  in 
the  fall  and  then  the  parched  ground  was  revived 
and  prepared  for  the  receiving  of  the  seed,  while  the 
later  showers  of  the  spring  helped  the  ripening  crops 


ia6  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

of  the  field.  The  withholding  of  the  early  and  latter 
rain  was  a  sign  of  God's  displeasure,  because  it  re- 
sulted in  a  complete  failure  of  the  crops  and  in 
famine.  The  return  of  the  rain  was  a  sign  of  Je- 
hovah's blessing  and  favor.  In  this  way  the  early 
and  latter  rain  is  mentioned  in  different  parts  of  the 
Bible.  "If  ye  walk  in  my  statutes,  and  keep  my 
commandments,  and  do  them,  then  I  will  give  you 
rain  in  due  season,  and  the  land  shall  yield  her  in- 
crease, and  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  yield  their 
fruit"  (Levit.  xxvi:4).  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
if  ye  hearken  diligently  unto  my  commandments, 
which  I  command  you  this  day,  to  love  the  Lord 
your  God,  and  to  serve  Him  with  all  your  heart  and 
with  all  your  soul,  that  I  will  give  you  the  rain  upon 
your  land  in  due  season,  the  early  rain  and  the  latter 
rain,  that  thou  mayest  gather  in  thy  corn,  and  thy 
wine,  and  thine  oil.  And  I  will  send  grass  in  thy 
fields  for  thy  cattle,  that  thou  mayest  eat  and  be  full. 
Take  heed  to  yourselves,  that  your  heart  be  not  de- 
ceived, and  ye  turn  aside  and  serve  other  gods,  and 
worship  them.  And  then  the  Lord's  wrath  be  kind- 
led against  you,  and  He  shut  up  the  heaven,  that 
there  be  no  rain,  and  that  the  land  yield  not  her 
fruit;  and  lest  ye  perish  quickly  from  off  the  good 
land  which  the  Lord  giveth  you."  (Deut.  xi  114-17.) 
Solomon  is  his  dedicatory  prayer  mentioned  this 


CHAPTER   II.  127 

literal  rain.  "When  heaven  is  shut  up,  and  there  is 
no  rain,  because  they  have  sinned  against  thee;  if 
they  pray  towards  this  place,  and  confess  Thy  Name, 
and  turn  from  their  sin,  when  Thou  afflictest  them. 
Then  hear  Thou  in  heaven,  and  forgive  the  sins  of 
Thy  servants,  and  of  Thy  people  Israel  that  Thou 
teach  them  the  good  way  wherein  they  should  walk, 
and  give  rain  upon  Thy  land,  which  Thou  hast 
given  to  Thy  people  for  an  inheritance."  (i  Kings 
viii:33~36.)  Jeremiah  says  that  on  account  of  the 
sin  of  the  people  "the  showers  were  withholden  and 
there  hath  been  no  latter  rain."  (Jerem.  iii  15.)  In 
Hosea  vi  13  the  latter  and  former  rain  is  mentioned 
in  connection  with  the  restoration  of  the  people  and 
the  return  of  the  Lord.  In  the  New  Testament  the 
early  and  latter  rain  is  mentioned  only  once  and  that 
in  the  Epistle  which  is  addressed  not  to  the  church, 
but  to  the  twelve  tribes,  which  are  scattered  abroad. 
This  must  always  be  remembered  in  reading  the 
Epistle  of  James.  But  there  it  is  used  only  as  an 
illustration  and  has  no  further  spiritual  application. 
As  the  husbandman  has  patience  in  waiting  for  the 
precious  fruit  of  the  earth  until  he  receive  the  early 
and  latter  rain,  so  we  are  exhorted  to  be  patient 
unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord. 

We  learn  from  all  these  passages  that  the  early 
and  latter  rain  means  simply  the  literal  rain  and 


128  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

nothing  else.  But  the  present  day  queer  interpre- 
tations of  the  most  simple  statements  of  the  Word 
of  God  have  their  source  in  the  wrong  division  of 
the  Word.  The  Book  of  Joel  knows  absolutely 
nothing  of  the  church,  nor  did  Joel  prophesy  con- 
cerning any  event  which  stands  in  any  relation 
whatever  to  the  church  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  words  "early  rain  in  righteousness"  are  trans- 
lated by  some  "the  teacher  of  righteousness."  "For 
He  giveth  you  the  teacher  of  righteousness."  Some 
of  the  Jewish  expositors  and  translators  have  done 
so  and  one  (Abarbanel)  states  that  "the  teacher  of 
righteousness"  is  the  Messiah.  We  do  not  think 
this  translation  is  a  correct  one,  though  there  is 
some  ground  for  it.  The  context  shows  that  "early 
rain"  must  be  the  true  rendering,  for  the  restoration 
of  the  land  to  its  former  fruitfulness  is  here  exclu- 
sively in  view.  The  peculiar  phrase  "the  early  rain 
in  righteousness"  has  of  course  its  meaning.  What 
Jehovah  does  then  is  founded  upon  righteousness. 
It  points  back  to  the  cross,  where  the  Son  of  God 
died  for  that  nation.  (John  xi  151.) 

In  the  next  place  we  have  the  result  of  the  early 
and  latter  rain. 

And  the  floors  shall  be  full  of  corn, 

And  the  vats  shall  overflow  with  new  wine  and  oil. 

And  I  will  restore  to  you  the  years 


CHAPTER  II.  129 

Which  the  Arbeh  hath  eaten, 

The  Jelek,  the  Chasel  and  the  Gazam, 

My  great  army  which  I  sent  among  you. — (Verses  24-25.) 

Prosperity  then  for  the  land  returns.  All  the  de- 
vastations wrought  by  the  locusts  will  be  at  an  end 
and  the  years  of  barren  waste  will  be  restored  to 
them.  Here,  of  course,  we  are  reminded  too  of  the 
typical  meaning  of  the  locusts,  which  are  now  called 
"my  great  army,  which  I  sent  among  you."  As  we 
learned  from  the  first  chapter  they  typified  nations. 
The  times  of  the  Gentiles  are  at  an  end  when  this 
glorious  time  for  Israel's  land  arrives  and  then  the 
desolation  will  cease. 

Then  ye  shall  be  in  abundance,  and  be  satisfied 

And  praise  the  Name  of  Jehovah  your  God, 

Who  has  dealt  wondrously  with  you, 

And  my  people  shall  never  be  ashamed. 

And  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  the  midst  of  Israel, 

And  that  I  Jehovah  am  your  God,  and  none  else. 

And  my  people  shall  never  be  ashamed. —  (Verses  26-27.) 

Israel  thus  blessed  will  break  forth  in  singing. 
At  last  Jehovah  will  receive  the  praise  from  His 
earthly  people.  Elsewhere  in  the  prophetic  Word 
we  find  the  glorious  singing  of  Israel  revealed.  Read 
Isaiah  xii;  lxi:io;  and  many  other  passages.  Twice 
the  statement  is  made  in  these  verses  that  His  people 
shall  never  be  ashamed.  The  days  of  their  shame 
and  reproach  are  now  passed.  After  the  long  years 


130  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

of  suffering  and  humiliation  glory  has  come  at  last. 
Never  again  will  shame  be  the  lot  of  His  people, 
for  they  are  healed  of  their  backsliding.  The  Lord 
Himself  furthermore  will  dwell  in  their  midst.  His 
glorious  throne  will  be  established  in  Zion.  Of 
this'  we  shall  hear  more  when  we  reach  the  last 
verses  of  the  third  chapter. 

VI.  The  Outpouring  of  the  Spirit  upon  all 
flesh.  Wonders  in  heaven  and  earth. 

We  now  reach  the  sixth  section  of  this  chapter. 
It  contains  a  vision  of  what  is  to  take  place  "after- 
wards." 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterwards, 

I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh, 

And  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy; 

Your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams, 

Your  young  men  shall  see  visions. 

Yea,  even  upon  the  men  servants  and  the  maid  ser- 
vants, 

In  those  days  will  I  pour  out  my  Spirit. 

And  I  will  give  wonders  in  the  heavens  and  on  earth, 

Blood,  and  fire  and  pillars  of  smoke. 

The  sun  shall  be  turned  to  darkness, 

And  the  moon  into  blood, 

Before  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  Jehovah  come. 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass 

Whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  Jehovah  shall  be 
saved. 


CHAPTER  II.  131 

For  in  Mount  Zion  and  in  Jerusalem  shall  be  deliverance, 
.As  Jehovah  hath  said, 
Even  for  the  remnant  whom  Jehovah  shall  call. 

—(Verses  28-32.) 

This  interesting  passage  invites  our  closest  at- 
tention. The  almost  general  interpretation  of  this 
prophecy  has  been  that  it  found  its  fulfilment  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
poured  forth.  Most  expositors  confine  the  fulfil- 
ment to  that  event  while  others  claim  that  Pente- 
cost was  only  the  beginning  of  the  fulfilment  and 
that  the  event  which  occurred  once  continues  to 
occur  throughout  this  Christian  age.  We  quote 
from  one  of  the  best  commentaries.  "But  how- 
ever certain  it  may  be  that  the  fulfilment 
took  place  at  the  first  Christian  feast  of  Pentecost, 
we  must  not  stop  at  this  one  Pentecostal  miracle. 
The  address  of  the  Apostle  Peter  by  no  means  re- 
quires this  limitation,  but  rather  contains  distinct 
indications  that  Peter  himself  saw  nothing  more 
therein  than  the  commencement  of  the  fulfilment, 
but  a  commencement  indeed,  which  embraced  the 
ultimate  fulfilment,  as  the  germ  enfolds  the  tree; 
for  if  not  only  the  children  of  the  apostles'  contem- 
poraries but  also  those  that  were  afar  off — i.  e.,  not 
foreign  Jews,  but  the  far  off  heathen,  were  to 
participate  in  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  out- 


132  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

pouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  commenced  on 
Pentecost  must  continue  as  long  as  the  Lord  shall 
receive  into  His  Kingdom  those  that  are  still  stand- 
ing afar,  i.  e.,  until  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  shall 
have  entered  the  kingdom  of  God." 

There  is,  however,  no  scriptural  foundation  for 
the  statement  that  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  commenced  on  Pentecost  must  continue 
throughout  this  present  age.  The  Holy  Spirit  came 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  He  was  poured  out  once 
and  nowhere  in  the  New  Testament  is  there  a  con- 
tinued or  repeated  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
promised.  The  difficulty  with  interpreting  this' 
great  prophecy  of  Joel  of  having  been  fulfilled  on 
Pentecost  and  being  fulfilled  throughout  this  age 
is  that  which  follows  in  the  next  two  verses.  Won- 
ders in  heaven  and  on  earth,  fire,  pillars  of  smoke, 
a  darkened  sun  and  a  blood-red  moon  are  mentioned 
and  that  in  connection  with  the  day  of  Jehovah, 
which,  as  we  have  seen  is  the  great  theme  of  Joel's 
vision.  These  words  have  been  generally  applied 
to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  which  followed  the 
day  of  Pentecost.  The  spiritualizing  method  has 
been  fully  brought  into  play  to  overcome  the  diffi- 
culties the  30th  and  3ist  verses  raise.  The  terrible 
day  of  Jehovah,  it  is  claimed,  is  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem.  Thus  we  read  in  the  commentary  of 


CHAPTER  II.  133 

Patrick  and  Lowth:  "This  (verse  30)  and  the  fol- 
lowing verse  principally  point  out  the  destruction 
of  the  city  and  the  temple  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans,  a  judgment  justly  inflicted  upon  the  Jew- 
ish nation  for  their  resisting  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
contempt  of  the  means  of  grace."  We  quote  an- 
other leading  commentator  on  Joel  ii:3O,  Dr. 
Clarke;  he  states:  "This  refers  to  the  fearful 
sights,  dreadful  portents,  and  destructive  commo- 
tions by  which  the  Jewish  polity  was  finally  over- 
thrown, and  the  Christian  religion  finally  established 
in  the  Roman  empire.  See  how  our  Lord  applies 
this  prophecy  in  Matthew  xxiv:2Q  and  the  parallel 
texts."  And  in  verse  31  ("the  sun  shall  be  turned 
into  darkness")  Clarke  says  "it  means  the  Jewish 
polity,  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  shall  be  entirely  de- 
stroyed." Others  give  these  words  the  same  spirit- 
ualized meaning.  These  learned  doctors  tell  us 
that  Joel  ii:3O  and  31  relates  to  the  destruction  of 
the  nation,  and  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  polity  of 
the  Jews!  This  is  a  fair  example  of  the  havoc 
which  a  Bible  interpretation  makes,  which  ignores 
the  great  dispensational  facts  revealed  in  the  Word 
of  God.  But  inasmuch  as  the  32d  verse,  the  last 
verse  in  this  second  chapter  of  Joel,  reveals  that 
there  shall  be  deliverance  in  Mount  Zion  and  in 
Jerusalem  after  these  signs  and  wonders,  and  the 


134  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

continuation  of  the  prophecy  in  the  third  chapter 
shows  the  judgment  of  the  enemies  of  the  people 
Israel,  God's  ancient  people,  such  interpretations  ap- 
pear at  once  as  fundamentally  wrong. 

It  is  strange  that  all  these  expositors  use  the 
word  "fulfilment"  in  connection  with  this  prophecy, 
saying,  that  Peter  said  that  the  day  of  Pentecost 
was  the  fulfilment  of  what  is  written  by  Joel.  But 
the  Holy  Spirit  did  not  use  the  word  "fulfilment" 
at  all.  He  purposely  avoided  such  a  statement.  In 
so  many  passages  in  the  New  Testament  we  find 
the  phrase  "that  it  might  be  fulfilled,"  but  in  mak- 
ing use  of  the  prophecy  in  Acts,  chapter  ii,  this 
phrase  is  not  used  and  instead  of  it  we  read  that 
Peter  said,  "but  this  is  that  which  was  spoken  by 
the  prophet  Joel"  (Acts  ii:i6).  There  is  a  great 
difference  between  this  word  and  an  out  and  out 
declaration  of  the  fulfilment  of  that  passage. 
Peter's  words  call  the  attention  to  the  fact  that 
something  like  that  which  took  place  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  had  been  predicted  by  Joel,  but  his  words 
do  not  claim  that  Joel's  prophecy  was  there  and 
then  fulfilled.  Nor  does  He  hint  at  a  continued  ful- 
filment or  coming  fulfilment  during  this  present  age. 
The  chief  purpose  of  the  quotation  of  that  prophecy 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  to  point  out  to  the 
Jews,  many  of  whom  were  scoffing,  that  the  iniracu- 


CHAPTER   II.  135 

bus  thing  which  had  happened  so  suddenly  in  their 
midst  was  fully  confirmed  by  what  Joel  had  fore- 
told would  be  the  effect  of  the  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit.  The  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  had 
taken  place,  but  not  in  the  full  sense  as'  given  in  the 
Prophecy  of  Joel.  He  came  for  a  special  purpose, 
which  was  the  formation  of  the  Church  and  for  this 
purpose  He  is  still  on  earth. 

Without  following  the  events  on  Pentecost  and 
their  meaning  it  is  evident  from  the  entire  prophecy, 
which  precedes  this  prediction  of  the  outpouring  of 
the  Spirit,  that  these  words  have  never  been  ful- 
filled. We  might  briefly  ask,  what  is  necessary  ac- 
cording to  the  contents  of  this  second  chapter  in 
Joel,  before  this  prophecy  can  be  accomplished? 
We  just  mention  what  we  have  already  learned  be- 
fore in  our  exposition.  The  people  Israel  must  be 
partly  restored  to  their  land,  that  great  invasion 
from  the  North,  bringing  such  trouble  to  the  land 
must  have  taken  place,  then  there  must  also  have 
come  the  intervention  of  the  Lord  and  He  must  be 
jealous  for  His  land  and  pity  His  people,  then  at 
that  time  this  great  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  will  take  place.  It  stands  in  the  closest  con- 
nection with  the  restoration  of  Israel.  The  prom- 
ises which  are  Israel's  (Romans  ix:4)  may  be 
grouped  into  two  classes,  those  which  pertain  to  the 


136  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

land,  earthly  blessings  and  supremacy  over  the  na- 
tions, and  spiritual  blessings,  such  as  knowing  the 
Lord,  walking  in  His  ways,  being  a  kingdom  of 
priests  and  prophets.  The  earthly  blessings  are 
accomplished  by  the  power  of  Jehovah  when  He  is 
manifested  as  their  deliverer  and  the  spiritual  bless- 
ings will  be  conferred  upon  them  by  the  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit. 

The  word  "afterwards"  with  which  this  prophecy 
is  introduced  refers  to  the  same  period  of  time  as 
the  phrase  "in  the  latter  days,"  that  is  the  days  when 
the  Lord  will  redeem  His  earthly  people  and  be 
merciful  to  His  land. 

Therefore  when  the  Holy  Spirit  came  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost  it  was  not  in  fulfilment  of  Joel's 
prophecy.  This  prophecy  has  never  been  fulfilled 
nor  will  it  be  fulfilled  during  this  present  age,  in 
which  the  Church  is  being  formed,  which  is  the 
body  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  After  this  is  ac- 
complished the  Lord  will  begin  His  relationship  with 
His  earthly  people,  when  He  appears  in  His  day 
then  they  will  experience  the  fulfilment  of  this 
great  prediction. 

That  this  is  the  true  and  scriptural  interpreta- 
tion of  these  words  is  learned  by  looking  at  some 
other  Scriptures. 

We  turn  first  to  Numbers  xi:2Q.     This  chapter 


CHAPTER   II.  137 

relates  the  event  when  the  Lord  put  the  Spirit  who 
was  upon  Moses  upon  the  elders  so  that  they 
prophesied.  Even  Eldad  and  Medad,  who  had  not 
gone  out  to  the  tabernacle  prophesied  in  the 
camp.  Then  Moses  heard  of  this  through 
Joshua.  He  then  burst  forth  in  the  words,  "Would 
God  that  all  the  Lord's  people  were  prophets  and 
that  the  Lord  would  put  His  Spirit  upon  them." 
This  is  exactly  the  calling  of  that  nation,  which  God 
hailh  chosen.  They  are  called  to  be  a  kingdom  of 
priests,  a  holy  nation.  This  can  only  be  through 
the  Spirit  of  God.  Moses  knew  their  stiffnecked- 
ness  and  uttered  this  longing  prayer.  Some  day 
the  Lord  will  bring  this  about  and  He  will  have 
foremost  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  the  na- 
tion He  has  called  and  kept  as  His  witness  in  His 
wonderful  mercy  on  the  earth.  This  is  seen  in 
other  Scriptures  as  well. 

In  Isaiah  we  read  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  for 
Israel,  the  seed  of  Abraham.  One  of  the  most 
striking  passages  is  the  one  in  the  xxxii  chapter. 
"Upon  the  land  of  my  people  shall  come  up  thorns 
and  briers,  yea  upon  all  the  houses  of  joy  in  the 
joyous  city.  Because  the  palaces  shall  be  forsaken, 
the  multitude  of  the  city  shall  be  left;  the  forts 
and  towers  shall  be  dens  forever,  a  joy  of  wild 
asses,  a  pasture  of  flocks"  (Verses  13-14).  This  is 


I38  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

a  prediction  of  judgment,  which  was  to  come  and 
has  come  upon  the  land  of  Isaiah's  people  and  upon 
the  joyous  city,  Jerusalem.  It  corresponds  to  the 
condition  of  the  land  and  the  people  as  described 
by  Joel.  But  this  is  not  the  entire  prophecy.  God 
never  stops  with  judgment  when  revealing  His  deal- 
ings with  His  people.  The  next  verse  is  a  prophecy 
like  the  one  before  us  here  in  the  second  chapter  of 
Joel.  "Until  the  Spirit  be  poured  upon  us  from  on 
high"  (Verse  15).  The  condition  of  the  people, 
the  land  and  the  city  will  remain  under  judgment 
until  the  Spirit  is  poured  upon  them  as  a  nation. 
Now  this  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  predicted  here 
cannot  be  the  outpouring  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
because  after  that  event  the  greatest  dispersion  of 
the  people  and  devastation  of  their  land  took  place. 
This  outpouring  of  which  Isaiah  speaks  is  future 
and  is  identical  with  that  of  Joel.  The  word  "pour" 
in  this  passage  has  a  special  significance.  It  is  also 
used  in  Isaiah  Iiii:i2.  It  means  "to  empty  out  al- 
together." In  Isaiah  Iiii:i2  we  read  "He  shall 
divide  the  spoil  with  the  strong  because  He  poured 
out  His  soul  unto  death."  He  poured  out  His 
whole  soul.  So  then  the  Spirit  will  be  completely, 
altogether  poured  out,  in  a  measure  as  it  has  never 
yet  been.  All  the  results  of  the  outpouring  of  the 


CHAPTER   II.  139 

Spirit  are  mentioned  by  Isaiah   (Read  verses  15- 
20). 

Another  unfulfilled  prediction  is  found  in  chapter 
xliv:3-4.  "For  I  will  pour  water  upon  him  that 
is  thirsty,  and  floods  upon  the  dry  ground;  I  will 
pour  my  Spirit  upon  thy  seed  and  my  blessing  upon 
thy  offspring."  Then  we  read  in  Isaiah  lix:  19-21 
another  promise.  The  time  predicted  is  the  time 
of  the  end;  then  the  enemy  comes  in  like  a  flood, 
while  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  will  lift  up  a  standard 
against  him.  The  Redeemer  will  come ;  this  means 
His  second  coming  (See  Romans  xi  126).  It  is  writ- 
ten concerning  the  nation  "As  for  me  this  is  my 
covenant  with  thee,  saith  the  Lord.  My  Spirit 
that  is  upon  thee,  and  my  words  which  I  have  put 
in  thy  mouth,  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth, 
nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy  seed,  nor  out  of  the 
mouth  of  thy  seed's  seed,  saith  the  Lord  from 
henceforth  and  forever"  (verse  21).  This  is  the 
same  promise,  to  be  realized  when  the  Lord  comes 
to  turn  away  ungodliness  from  Jacob.  In  Isaiah 
Iiv:i3  we  find  still  another  of  the  many  promises 
which  are  Israel's  which  up  to  the  present  time  has 
never  been  true.  "And  all  thy  children  shall  be 
taught  of  the  Lord,  and  great  shall  be  the  peace 
of  thy  children."  To  accomplish  this  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  needed.  In  the  prophecies  of  Ezekiel  we 


140  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

find  the  same  promises.  "And  I  will  put  my  Spirit 
within  you,  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  my  statutes 
and  ye  shall  keep  my  judgments  and  do  them.  And 
ye  shall  dwell  in  the  land  that  I  gave  to  your 
fathers;  and  ye  shall  be  my  people,  and  I  will  be 
your  God"  (Ezek.  xxxvi  127-28 ).  This  prediction 
stands  in  connection  with  their  future  restoration. 
It  has  never  been  fulfilled.  The  same  is  true  of 
chapter  xxxvii:i4-  "And  I  will  put  my  Spirit  in 
you,  and  ye  shall  live ;  and  I  shall  place  you  in  your 
own  land ;  then  shall  ye  know  that  I  the  Lord  have 
spoken  it,  and  performed  it,  saith  the  Lord."  The 
entire  chapter  shows  the  time  when  this  will  be, 
when  the  dry  bones  of  the  house  of  Israel  receive 
national  and  spiritual  life.  Up  to  the  present 
time  this  has  never  been. 

But  stronger  still  is  Ezek.  xxxix:29.  "Neither 
will  I  hide  my  face  any  more  from  them ;  for  I  have 
poured  out  my  Spirit  upon  the  house  of  Israel, 
saith  the  Lord  God."  Now  His  face  is  still  hid 
from  them.  But  the  day  is  coming  when  the  Lord 
will  pour  out  His  Spirit  upon  them  as  a  nation  and 
then  the  restoration  of  the  nation  to  the  favor  of 
God  will  take  place  and  He  will  never  hide  His 
face  from  them  again. 

All  these  passages  harmonize  with  the  one  in 
Joel.  There  is  then  in  store  for  the  people  Israel, 


CHAPTER   II.  141 

for  the  remnant  which  is  left  after  the  great  tribu- 
lation, an  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  promise  here  in  Joel  will  be  fulfilled  in 
Israel  to  the  extent  as  given  here.  Even  the  lowest 
among  them,  the  man  servant  and  the  maid  servant, 
will  share  in  it.  The  whole  nation  will  be  filled  with 
the  Spirit  and  will  possess  the  Spirit  with  all  His 
attending  gifts  and  blessings.  Then  Moses'  earnest 
prayer  will  at  last  be  answered,  the  Lord's  people 
will  be  prophets  and  they  will  be  possessed  by  His 
Spirit. 

What  will  that  be  for  the  world  when  at  last  His 
chosen  people  has  been  restored  and  this  marvelous 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit  upon  them  has  taken  place  ? 
Romans  xi  gives  us  an  answer. 

Now  if  the  fall  of  them  be  the  riches  of  the  world, 
and  the  diminishing  of  them  the  riches  of  the  Gentiles; 
how  much  more  their  fulness? 

For  I  speak  to  you  Gentiles,  inasmuch  as  I  am  the 
apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  I  magnify  mine  office: 

If  by  any  means  I  may  provoke  to  emulation  them 
which  are  my  flesh,  and  might  save  some  of  them. 

For  if  the  casting  away  of  them  be  the  reconciling 
of  the  world,  what  shall  the  receiving  of  them  be,  but 
life  from  the  dead?  (Rom.  xi:i2-i5). 

But  the  term  "all  flesh"  goes  beyond  Israel.  The 
other  nations  will  share  in  the  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  and  no  doubt  even  creation  will  reap  its  great 


142  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

benefits  and  blessings  from  it.  In  the  hour  of  dark- 
ness and  chaos  (Gen.  i:2)  He  hovered  over  the 
waters.  Through  His  power  as  the  Spirit  of  power 
and  the  Spirit  of  life,  He  will  bring  about  the  con- 
ditions in  creation,  which  will  forever  end  the 
groaning  of  that  fair  and  good  creation  of  God, 
which  has  suffered  under  man's  sin  and  the  curse 
of  sin. 

VI.  Salvation  in  Jerusalem  and  in  Zion  for 
the  residue  whom  the  Lord  shall  call  (Verse  32). 

And  now  verses  30,  31  and  32  are  not  difficult 
to  understand.  We  need  not  resort  to  spiri- 
tual applications  and  other  strained  methods  to 
understand  them.  Before  the  terrible  day  of  the 
Lord  comes  there  will  be  wonders  in  the  heavens  and 
on  the  earth.  Blood,  fire,  pillars  of  smoke,  the  sun 
turning  into  darkness,  the  moon  into  blood  are 
mentioned.  All  these  words  denote  judgment,  and 
it  is  the  description  of  the  judgment  of  an  un- 
godly world,  of  another  Egypt  in  that  day  when 
the  Lord  arises  to  shake  the  earth.  Blood,  fire,  pil- 
lars of  smoke  (darkness)  were  some  of  the  judg- 
ment put  upon  Egypt,  the  type  of  the  world  and  its 
coming  judgments.  God  will  then  deal  with  the 
world  in  judgment  and  the  many  passages  in  His 
holy  Word,  too  numerous  to  mention  here,  in  which 


CHAPTER   II.  143 

that  judgment  is  described,  will  then  become  a  fear- 
ful reality.  Of  the  day  of  Jehovah  we  shall  hear 
more  in  the  last  chapter  and  then  we  hope  to  bring 
out  some  of  the  details.  The  thirty-second  verse 
with  which  this  great  chapter  in  Joel  closes  tells  us 
of  salvation.  This  great  outpouring  of  the  Spirit 
will  result  in  salvation.  It  is  blessedly  true  now 
that  "whosoever  (the  great  Gospel  word)  shall  call 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved,"  but  it 
will  be  more  true  in  that  day.  Salvation  will  go 
forth  from  Jerusalem  once  more.  The  word  "Sal- 
vation is  of  the  Jews"  will  then  find  its  largest 
fulfilment.  There  will  be  the  remnant  of  His 
people  and  the  ends  of  the  earth  will  likewise  know 
the  salvation  of  God.  "Sing  and  rejoice,  O 
daughter  of  Zion ;  for  lo  I  come,  and  I  will  dwell 
in  the  midst  of  thee  saith  the  Lord.  And  many 
nations  shall  be  joined  to  the  Lord  in  that  day,  and 
shall  be  my  people"  (Zech.  ii:n). 


CHAPTER  III. 

We  have  reached  the  great  Finale  of  Joel's  pro- 
phecy. The  vision  now  enlarges  and  puts  before 
our  view  events  which  are  in  connection  with  "that 
day,"  the  day  of  the  Lord.  We  read  in  the  previous 
two  chapters  a  prophetic  history  of  Israel  and  their 
land,  the  affliction  which  came  upon  them  through 
Gentile  powers  and  the  final  great  trouble  through 
the  invasion  of  the  one  from  the  North  and 
Jehovah's  intervention  in  behalf  of  His  people  as 
well  as  their  restoration  and  spiritual  blessings.  In 
this  last  chapter  another  fact  is  made  known.  In  that 
coming  day  the  Lord  will. execute  judgment  in  the 
earth.  He  will  deal  with  the  nations  which  sinned 
against  His  people,  His  heritage  Israel.  His  righteous 
judgment  and  retribution  will  come  upon  them.  Then 
there  is  given  in  this  chapter  a  great  description  of 
what  will  precede  this  judgment  of  nations.  A 
great  final  warfare  will  take  place,  war  is  prepared, 
the  mighty  ones  of  the  earth  draw  near  and  go  up 
and  the  Lord  comes  down.  It  is  a  vivid  portrayal 
of  the  events  with  which  the  age  closes.  In  the  last 
section  of  this  chapter  we  find  a  brief  description 


CHAPTER   III.  145 

of  the  kingdom  generally  called  the  Millennium,  as 
it  will  follow  these  great  judgments.  We  divide 
this  chapter  into  three  parts: 

I.  The  judgment  of  the  nations  in  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat.       Tyre    and     Sidon's    retribution 
(Verses  1-8). 

II.  The  nations  making  war  against  Jerusalem 
before  the  judgment.  Jehovah's  glorious  manifes- 
tation for  the  help  of  His  people  and  the  punish- 
ment of  their  enemies  (Verses  9-16). 

III.  Jehovah's  rule  in  the  midst  of  His  people. 
The  kingdom  (Verses  17-21). 

I.  The  judgment  of  the  nations. 

For  behold  in  those  days  and  in  that  time 

When  I  shall  bring  back  the  captivity  of  Judah  and 
Jerusalem; 

1'  will  also  bring  together  all  nations 

And  will  bring  them  down  into  the  valley  of  Jehosha- 
phat; 

And  there  will  I  judge  them  on  account  of  my  people 

And  my  heritage  Israel,  whom  they  have  scattered 
among  the  nations, 

And  they  divided  my  land. 

And  they  cast  lots  for  my  people, 

They  gave  a  boy  for  a  harlot 

And  sold  a  girl  for  wine,  and  drank  it. — (Verses  1-3.) 


I46  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

The  first  verse  specifies  the  time  when  Jehovah 
will  do  what  He  announces  in  the  two  verses  which 
follow.  It  will  be  in  those  days,  in  that  time,  when 
the  captivity  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem  is  brought 
back.  Clearly  then  up  to  this  time  this  cannot  yet 
have  been,  for  the  captivity  of  His  people  is  not  yet 
ended.  They  are  still  scattered  in  the  great  disper- 
sion among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  The  time  is 
future  when  the  captivity  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem  is 
brought  back.  Israel,  the  ten  tribes  are  not  men- 
tioned here,  but  they  are  included  in  the  prophecy; 
they  will  likewise  be  brought  back.  Joel  only  men- 
tions Judah,  because  His  prophecy  was  addressed 
to  Judah  and  Jerusalem.  The  captivity,  or  disper- 
sion, which  is  the  same  thing,  of  the  people  Israel 
will  not  end  till  divine  power  accomplishes  it  ac- 
cording to  the  many  promises  in  the  Word  of  God. 
And  when  at  last  the  heavens  are  silent  no  longer 
and  Jehovah  in  His  power  begins  to  fulfill  His 
promises  and  their  captivity  ends,  it  will  mean  judg- 
ment for  the  nations. 

It  is  Jehovah  Himself  who  speaks,  what  He  is 
going  to  do  in  that  day,  when  He  arises  and  has 
mercy  on  Zion.  "I  will  also  bring  together  ail  na- 
tions and  will  bring  them  down  into  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat."  How  the  Lord  will  bring  these  na- 
tions together  and  thus  accomplish  His  purpose  is 


CHAPTER   III.  147 

revealed  in  verses  9-12.  We  therefore  pass  it  by 
for  the  present  till  we  read  the  second  part  of  this 
chapter.  But  here  is  also  the  place  mentioned  where 
this  great  judgment  of  nations  will  be  executed.  It 
will  be  in  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  The  word 
means  translated  "Jehovah  judges."  This  name  oc- 
curs elsewhere  in  the  Word  of  God.  King  Jehu 
was  the  son  of  Jehoshaphat  and  he  was  the  son  of 
Nimshi  (2  Kings  ix:2).  Significant  names  of  the 
King  who  had  to  judge,  for  Jehu  means  "He  is  Je- 
hovah;" Jehoshaphat,  "Jehovah  judges;"  Nimshi, 
"Jehovah  reveals." 

In  2  Chronicles  xx  we  read  the  account  of  King 
Jehoshaphat's  victory  over  hostile  nations.  But  the 
place  where  this  took  place  is  not  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat,  but  it  was  called  "Berachah,"  that  is 
blessing.  We  mention  this  for  some  expositors  have 
claimed  that  the  place  where  King  Jehoshaphat 
brought  judgment  upon  these  nations  is  the  valley 
of  which  Joel  speaks. 

The  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  must  be  looked  for  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  generally 
placed  in  the  valley  of  the  Kidron  on  the  East  of 
Jerusalem.  It  may  not  yet  be  in  existence.  In 
Zechariah  xiv  we  read  of  the  same  events  which 
are  here  predicted.  When  the  Lord  appears  and 
His  feet  stand  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  in  that  day. 


I48  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

The  Mount  of  Olives'  will  then  cleave  in  the  midst 
and  there  will  be  formed  a  very  great  valley  (Zech. 
xiv:4).  This  great  valley  may  be  the  valley  where 
the  Lord  judges  the  nations. 

In  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  the  Lord  will  deal 
with  the  nations  and  His  judgment  will  be  on  ac- 
count of  His  people  and  heritage  Israel.  The  na- 
tions scattered  them  and  divided  His  land.  They 
treated  His  people  like  slaves,  casting  lots  for  His 
people,  sold  a  girl  for  wine  and  drank  it. 

The  great  sin  of  the  nations,  the  Gentile  world- 
powers,  is  the  sin  against  Israel.  This  is  repeated- 
ly mentioned  by  God's  prophets.  The  foundation 
of  the  judgment  of  the  nations  of  which  our  Lord 
speaks  in  Matthew  xxv  is  likewise  the  treatment  of 
the  Jew.  Read  also  Psalms  lxxix:i-3;  lxxxiii:i-6; 
Isaiah  xxix:i-8;  xxxiv:i~3;  Jeremiah  xxv:  13-17; 
Zech.  i:i4-i5;  xii:2,  3. 

In  Joel's  day  such  wickedness  as  described  here  of 
casting  lots  for  His  people  and  selling  boys  and 
girls  was  partially  known.  The  Philistines  had 
done  this  as  well  as  Tyre  and  Sidon.  But  these 
words  were  fulfilled  during  the  Babylonian  captiv- 
ity and  in  that  great  dispersion,  which  was  brought 
about  by  the  Roman  empire.  After  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  in  the  year  70  the 
very  thing  happened  spoken  by  the  prophet. 


CHAPTER  III.  149 

Nearly  a  million  and  a  half  of  Human  beings  per- 
ished in  Jerusalem  and  the  land  in  that  awful  war- 
fare.  Over  100,000  were  taken  prisoners.  These 
hundred  thousand  Jews  were  disposed  by  Titus  ac- 
cording to  Josephus  in  the  following  manner: 
"Those  under  17  years  of  age  were  publicly  sold; 
of  the  remainder,  some  were  executed  immediately, 
some  sent  away  to  work  in  the  Egyptian  mines 
(which  was  worse  than  death),  some  kept  for  public 
shows  to  fight  with  wild  beasts  in  all  the  chief  cities ; 
only  the  tallest  and  most  handsome  were  kept  for  the 
triumphal  procession  in  Rome."  Jews  were  sold  for 
so  small  a  price  as  a  measure  of  barley;  thousands 
were  thus  disposed  of.  And  what  else  could  we 
add  from  the  history  of  centuries,  the  cruel  and 
terrible  persecutions  God's  heritage  suffered,  the 
thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  massacred,  tort- 
ured, outraged  and  sold  as  slaves.  Have  we  not 
beheld  but  recently  similar  horrors  in  Russia?  And 
that  history  is  not  yet  finished.  Outbreaks  of  hatred 
against  the  heritage  Israel  are  still  to  come  and  the 
time  of  Jacob's  trouble  soon  to  come  will  eclipse  all 
their  former  suffering.  It  will  be  a  time  of  trouble 
such  as  has  not  been  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world  until  now  nor  ever  shall  be  (Matt.  xxiv:2i). 
The  day  will  come  when  the  Lord  will  judge  the 
nations  for  the  evil  they  have  done.  There  will  be 


ISO      .  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

a   retribution,   just   and    full.     Of   this   the   next 
verses  have  something  to  say: 

Yea,  also,  what  have  ye  to  do  with  me,  O  Tyre  and 

Sidon, 

And  all  the  borders  of  Philistia? 
Would  you  requite  me  with  retaliation? 
If  you  retaliate 

Swiftly  and  speedily  will  I  bring  your  recompense 
Upon  your  own  head. 

Because  ye  have  taken  my  silver  and  gold, 
And   have   brought   into   your   temples   my   very   best 
things. 

And  the  children  of  Judah  and  of  Jerusalem 

Ye  sold  to  the  children  of  the  Greeks, 

That  ye  might  remove  them  far  from  their  border. 

Behold  I  will  raise  them  up  out  of  the  place  whither 

ye  sold  them, 
And  I  will  return  the  retaliation  upon  your  own  head. 

And  I  will  sell  your  sons  and  your  daughters 

Into  the  hands  of  the  sons  of  Judah. 

And  they  shall  sell  them  to  the  Sabeans  to  a  far  off 

nation. 
For  Jehovah  hath  spoken  it. 

This  is  an  address  to  Tyre  and  Sidon.  In  part 
at  least  these  words  have  been  fulfilled.  Tyre  and 
Sidon  and  all  the  border  of  Philistia  have  already 
passed  under  the  swift  and  righteous  judgments  of 


CHAPTER   III.  151 

the  Lord.  As  they  had  done  so  it  was  done  unto 
them.  They  had  sold  the  children  of  Judah  to  the 
Greeks  and  the  children  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  were  sold 
to  the  Sabeans.  History  shows  a  fulfilment  of  this. 
Philistia  had  conquered  Judah  and  done  all  this  evil 
and  in  turn  they  were  spoiled  and  retaliation  came 
upon  their  heads.  This  shows  how  the  Lord  will 
judge  in  that  day.  But  the  words  must  also  have 
their  final  fulfilment  when  the  nations  are  in  the 
valley  of  Jehoshaphat. 

II.  The  nations  making  war  against  Jerusalem 
before  the  judgment.  Jehovah's  glorious  mani- 
festation for  the  help  of  His  people  and  the  pun- 
ishment of  their  enemies  (Verses  9-16). 

The  words  which  now  follow  in  this  chapter 
must  be  connected  with  the  second  verse.  There  the 
Spirit  of  God  declared  that  all  nations  shall  be 
brought  together  into  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  to  be 
dealt  with  on  account  of  Israel.  And  now  the  de- 
tails of  that  judgment,  how  the  nations  will  gather, 
prepare  war,  assume  a  defiant  attitude  and  beat 
their  ploughshares  into  swords  is  vividly  described. 
The  judgment  hosts  of  God,  the  angels  are  seen 
coming  down  and  then  Jehovah  appears  in  all  His 
majesty,  while  sun  and  moon  are  darkened.  These 


152  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

verses  will  become  clearer  if  we  divide  them  as  to 
the  persons  who  speak. 

The  Lord  speaking: 

Proclaim  this  among  the  nations: 

Declare  a  war, 

Arouse  the  mighty  ones, 

Let  all  the  men  of  war  draw  near,  let  them  come  up! 

Beat  your  ploughshares  into  swords, 
And  your  pruning  hooks  into  spears. 
Let  the  weak  say,  I  am  strong. 

Come  together 

All  ye  nations  round  about 

Gather  yourselves  together. 

The  Prayer  of  the  Prophet: 

Thither  cause  thy  mighty  ones  to  come  down, 
O  Jehovah! 

The  Lord  speaking: 

Let  the  nations  arise  and  come  up 

To  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat, 

For  there  will  I  sit  to  judge  all  the  nations  round  about. 

The  Lord  to  His  judgmen*  hosts: 

Put  in  the  sickle, 

For  the  harvest  is  ripe; 

Come — Tread! 

For  the  wine-press  is  full, 

The  vats  overflow; 

For  their  wickedness  is  great. 


CHAPTER  III.  153 

The  Prophet  beholding  the  gathering: 

Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the  valley  of  decision! 
For  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  at  hand  in  the  valley  of 
decision. 

The  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened 
And  the  stars  withdraw  their  shining. 

And  Jehovah  shall  roar  from  Zion 
And  send  forth  His  voice  from  Jerusalem; 
And  the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall  shake; 
But  Jehovah  will  be  a  refuge  for  His  people 
And  a  fortress  for  the  sons  of  Israel. 

Here  a  great  warfare  is  proclaimed.  The  na- 
tions are  summoned.  Some  interpreters  think  the 
people  Israel  are  called  together ;  but  that  is  wrong. 
The  summons  is  to  the  nations  and  not  to  the  scat- 
tered people  Israel.  Throughout  the  prophetic  Word 
we  read  that  confederacies  of  nations  will  oppose 
God  at  the  close  of  this  present  age.  There  will  be 
a  double  confederacy  of  nations;  the  alliance  of 
nations  composing  the  restored  Roman  Empire,  and 
the  alliance  of  nations  coming  from  the  North. 
This  northern  confederacy  is  here  described.  Many 
Scriptures  could  be  quoted  to  show  what  is  pre- 
dicted for  military  Christendom  and  how  in  the 
blindness  of  their  hearts  they  will  assemble  to  make 
war  against  God  and  His  anointed  coming  up 
against  Jerusalem.  We  mention  a  few:  Psalms  ii: 


154  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

1-5;  Psalms  lxxxiii:i-6;  Isaiah  xxix:i-8;  xxxiv:i- 
3;  Jeremiah  xxiv:i3-i7;  Ezekiel  xxxviii;  Zech.  xii: 
2-3;  9;  xiv:2-5;  Revel.  xixiiQ. 

In  the  appointed  time  when  the  measure  of  wick- 
edness is  full  the  nations  under  the  leadership  of  the 
beast  and  the  Assyrian  will  come  together 
for  the  final  great  conflict.  All  seems  to  be  prepar- 
ing for  this.  Suggestions  are  made  for  the  union 
of  all  nations  with  a  "world's  president."  The 
events  in  the  East,  the  rejuvenation  of  Turkey,  the 
restoration  of  the  Jewish  people,  still  in  unbelief,  to 
their  land,  all  indicate  a  near  fulfilment  of  these 
great  prophecies.  The  so-called  "Christian  nations" 
with  their  ambitions,  rivalries,  jealousies  and  in 
their  corruption,  increase  of  crimes  and  wealth  will 
at  last  fulfil  the  long  predicted  destiny  and  gather 
themselves  to  war.  Plowshares,  we  read  in  this 
divine  summoning  of  the  nations,  will  become 
swords  and  pruninghooks,  spears.  In  Isaiah  ii:4 
and  Micah  iv  13  we  read  the  opposite.  Nations  shall 
beat  their  swords  into  plowshares  and  their  spears 
into  pruninghooks.  This  will  be  in  the  millennium. 
Before  that  happy  time  comes  the  other  will  take 
place. 

Then  there  is  a  prayer.  When  the  Prophet  be- 
held the  nations  coming  up  against  Jerusalem,  as- 
sembling with  their  armies  to  assail  His  people,  he 


CHAPTER  III.  155 

breaks  out  in  prayer.  "Thither  cause  Thy  mighty 
ones  to  come  down  O  Jehovah!"  Joel  is  here  act- 
ing as  the  representative  of  the  godly  Jewish  rem- 
nant, which  is  so  vividly  portrayed  in  Prophecy. 
When  the  true  church  has  left  the  earth  and  the 
consummation  of  the  age  takes  place  a  believing 
remnant  gathered  from  God's  ancient  people  will 
witness  and  suffer,  pray  and  wait  for  the  promised 
deliverance.  If  one  reads  the  Book  of  Psalms 
with  this  thought  in  mind,  that  the  many  recorded 
prayers  of  a  suffering  people,  addressed  to  God 
for  interference  from  above  and  the  overthrow  of 
their  enemies,  belong  properly  to  that  believing  rem- 
nant and  will  all  be  fulfilled  in  the  end  of  the  age, 
the  whole  Book  of  Psalms  becomes  illuminated. 

The  Prophet's  utterance  has  this  meaning.  He 
calls  on  Jehovah  to  send  down  His  mighty  ones  to 
oppose  the  nations  who  invade  Israel's  land  and 
compass  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  The  mighty  ones 
are  the  angelic  hosts.  The  angels  will  be  used  in  that 
day ;  they  are  the  reapers  at  the  time  of  the  harvest 
(Matthew  xiii:39).  They  have  a  prominent  part 
in  the  Book  of  Revelation. 

Then,  as  an  answer,  Jehovah  speaks  again  and 
commands  the  nations  to  appear  in  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat  for  the  judgment.  It  hardly  needs  to 
be  stated  that  this  is  not  the  so-called  "universal 


156  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

judgment,"  a  term  which  is1  not  known  at  all  in 
Scripture.  It  is  a  judgment  of  "all  the  nations 
round  about,"  those  who  have  taken  a  definite  part 
in  the  great  final  warfare  and  who  come  against 
Jerusalem.  The  I3th  verse  contains  the  address  of 
Jehovah  to  the  judgment  hosts,  the  angel  reapers. 
Solemn  are  these  words.  What  a  time  it  will  be 
when  the  Lord  speaks  thus! 

Put  in  the  sickle, 

For  the  harvest  is  ripe; 

Come — Tread! 

For  the  wine-press  is  full, 

The  vats  overflow; 

For  their  wickedness  is  great. 

There  is  a  double  representation  of  the  judg- 
ment, reaping  and  treading  the  wine-press.  This 
is  the  same  as  revealed  in  the  great  New  Testa- 
ment book  of  Prophecy,  the  Apocalypse. 

And  I  looked,  and  behold  a  white  cloud,  and  upon  the 
cloud  one  sat  like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  having  on  his 
head  a  golden  crown,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle. 
And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple,  crying  with 
a  loud  voice  to  him  that  sat  on  the  cloud,  Thrust  in 
thy  sickle,  and  reap:  for  the  time  is  come  for  thee  to 
reap;  for  the  harvest  of  the  earth  is  ripe.  And  he  that 
sat  on  the  cloud  thrust  in  his  sickle  in  the  earth;  and 
the  earth  was  reaped.  And  another  angel  came  out 
of  the  temple  which  is  in  heaven,  he  also  having  a  sharp 


CHAPTER  III.  157 

sickle.  And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  altar, 
which  had  power  over  fire;  and  cried  with  a  loud  cry 
to  him  that  had  the  sharp  sickle,  saying,  Thrust  in  thy 
sharp  sickle,  and  gather  the  clusters  of  the  vine  of  the 
earth;  for  her  grapes  are  fully  ripe.  And  the  angel 
thrust  in  his  sickle  into  the  earth,  and  gathered  the  vine 
of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great  wine-press  of 
the  wrath  of  God.  And  the  wine-press  was  trodden 
without  the  city,  and  blood  came  out  of  the  wine-press, 
even  unto  the  horse  bridles,  by  the  space  of  a  thousand 
and  six  hundred  furlongs. — (Rev.  xiv:i4-20.) 

Everything  then  is  ripe  for  judgment  as  in  the 
harvest,  when  the  corn  is  ripe,  the  sickle  must  come 
into  play.  The  harvest  is  the  end  of  the  age,  as  our 
Lord  tells  us  in  Matthew  xiii.  The  treading  of  the 
wine-press  is  the  type  of  the  wrath  of  God.  Then 
the  day  of  vengeance  has  come.  Isaiah  Ixiii  :6  will 
see  its  terrible  accomplishment.  "And  I  will  tread 
down  the  people  in  mine  anger,  and  make  them 
drink  in  my  fury,  and  I  will  bring  down  their 
strength  to  the  earth."  God's  love  and  patience  now 
are  incomprehensible;  His  wrath  and  judgment  will 
be  so  likewise.  That  day  of  wrath  is  rapidly  ap- 
proaching. The  heavens  will  be  silent  no  longer. 
The  Lord  will  arise  and  shake  the  earth, 

Again  the  seer  speaks.  It  is  an  exclamation  of 
the  Prophet.  He  beholds  the  multitudes  in  the 


I58  THE   BOOK   OF  JOEL. 

valley  of  decision.  Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the 
valley  of  decision !  The  day  of  Jehovah  is  at  hand. 

And  all  at  once  darkness  spreads  over  the  face 
of  the  earth.  Sun  and  moon  are  darkened.  The 
stars  withdraw  their  shining.  How  ominous  that 
darkness  must  be!  These  physical  phenomena  are 
seen  repeatedly  by  the  Prophets  and  the  Lord  Him- 
self mentioned  them  (Matthew  xxiv  129-31 ).  But 
at  the  same  time  His  voice  will  be  heard,  the  voice 
of  Him  who  hung  on  the  cross'  when  the  Sun  was 
darkened,  the  voice  which  was  heard  in  that  deep 
and  never  to  be  forgotten  cry,  My  God,  my  God, 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?  That  voice  will  speak 
again  and  He  Himself  will  appear  in  majesty  and 
glory.  He  will  roar  from  Zion.  Heaven  and  earth 
will  be  shaken.  (See  Haggai  ii:6  and  Heb.  xii:26.) 
But  while  He  comes  thus  to  judge  His  enemies  and 
deal  with  them  in  wrath,  He  will  remember  His 
people  Israel  in  mercy  and  be  a  refuge  and  fortress 
for  the  Sons  of  Israel. 

Most  all  the  prophetic  books  close  with  visions 
concerning  the  glorious  future  in  store  for  God's 
earthly  people  and  the  establishment  of  the  theo- 
cratic kingdom  in  their  midst.  The  last  chapter  in 
Isaiah  reveals  this :  "For  thus,  saith  the  Lord, 
Behold  I  will  extend  peace  to  her  like  a  river,  and 
the  glory  of  the  Gentiles  like  a  flowing  stream ." 


CHAPTER  III.  159 

(Isaiah  Ixvi:i2).  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that 
from  one  new  moon  unto  another,  and  from  one 
Sabbath  to  another,  shall  all  flesh  come  to  worship 
before  me,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts"  (verse  23). 
Jeremiah  announces  the  judgment  of  Jerusalem's 
mighty  enemy  Babylon,  which  will  only  be  final 
when  the  last  trouble  has  swept  over  Jeremiah's 
nation,  that  is  the  great  tribulation  yet  to  come. 
"And  it  shall  be,  when  thou  hast  made  an  end  of 
reading  this  book,  that  thou  shalt  bind  a  stone  to  it, 
and  cast  it  into  the  midst  of  the  Euphrates.  And 
thou  shalt  say,  Thus  shall  Babylon  sink,  and  shall 
not  rise  from  the  evil  that  I  will  bring  upon  her; 
and  they  shall  be  weary.  Thus  far  are  the  words 
of  Jeremiah"  (Jeremiah  li  163-64).  Ezekiel  closes 
with  a  most  vivid  description  of  the  glory  of  the 
land,  the  new  temple,  the  restoration  of  the  tribes 
to  the  land  of  promise.  The  last  sentence  in  Ezekiel 
is  "Jehovah  shammah,"  which  means,  "The  Lord 
is  there."  It  is  Jerusalem's  new  name,  because  the 
Lord  will  manifest  Himself  in  their  midst.  Daniel 
closes  his  book,  too,  with  a  great  prophecy  concern- 
ing the  end,  when  Israel  dead  nationally  and  spiri- 
tually will  arise  out  of  the  dust,  when  Daniel's 
people  shall  be  delivered.  Hosea  speaks  by  God's 
Spirit  in  his  last  chapter  on  the  healing  of  Israel 
and  that  the  anger  will  be  turned  away  from  them. 


160  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

This  is  followed  by  the  promise  of  blessing,  such 
as  can  only  be  realized  in  the  future.  "The  nation 
Israel  shall  be  in  beauty  as  the  olive  tree"  (Hosea 
xiv:4-7).  The  "herdsman  of  Tekoa,"  Amos,  after 
announcing  coming  judgments  assures  us  by  divine 
revelation  in  his  last  chapter  that  only  good  is  in 
store  for  the  people  who  wandered  to  and  fro  over 
the  face  of  the  earth,  during  the  time  of  their  apos- 
tasy. "And  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  my 
people  Israel,  and  they  shall  build  the  waste  cities 
and  inhabit  them ;  and  they  shall  plant  vineyards, 
and  drink  the  wine  thereof;  they  shall  also  make 
gardens,  and  eat  the  fruit  of  them.  And  I  will  plant 
them  upon  their  land,  and  they  shall  no  more  be 
pulled  up  out  of  their  land  which  I  have  given  them, 
saith  the  Lord  thy  God"  (Amos  ix:i4-i5).  Oba- 
diah's  little  book  closes  with  the  sentence,  "And 
the  kingdom  shall  be  the  Lord's,"  a  prediction  still 
unaccomplished.  Micah  has  for  his  ending  the 
assurance  of  blessing  for  Israel  and  that  the  sworn 
promises  will  be  performed  (Mic.  vii:i9-2o). 
Habakkuk's  great  third  chapter  tells  the  same  story. 
"I  will  bring  you  again;  I  will  gather  you;  I  will 
turn  back  your  captivity,"  is  the  divine  message 
with  which  Zephaniah  closes  (Zeph.  iii:2o).  The 
shaking  heavens  and  the  shaking  earth  and  what  is 
connected  with  this  coming  catastrophe  is  the  last 


CHAPTER  III.  161 

message  of  Haggai  (ii  121-23) .  The  great  finale 
of  Zechariah  is  a  wonderful  chapter  in  which  are 
brought  together  once  more  the  prophecies  of  the 
former  prophets  concerning  Jerusalem's  great  and 
glorious  future  (Chap.  xiv).  And  while  it  is  true 
that  the  last  word  in  the  Prophet  Malachi  is  the 
word  "curse,"  the  last  chapter  also  announces  that 
the  Sun  of  righteousness  shall  arise  with  healing  in 
His  wings. 

Our  book  has  also  for  its  final  vision,  a  vision  of 
blessing. 

III.  Jehovah  in  the  midst  of  His  people.    The 
Kingdom  (Verses  17-21). 

And  ye  shall  know  that  I,  Jehovah  your  God 
Dwell  in  Zion  my  holy  mountain; 
And  Jerusalem  shall  be  holy, 
And  strangers  shall  HO  more  pass  through  her. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day 
That  the  mountains  shall  drop  down  new  wine, 
And  the  hills  shall  flow  with  milk, 
And  all  the  river  beds  of  Judah  shall  be  full  with  waters. 
And  a  fountain  shall  come  forth  from  the  house  of  Je- 
hovah, 
And  shall  water  the  valley  of   Shittim. 

Egypt  shall  be  a  desolation 

And  Edom  shall  be  a  desolate  wilderness 

For  their  violence  against  the  children  of  Judah, 

Because  they  shed  innocent  blood  in  their  land. 


162  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

But  Judah  shall  abide  forever 

And  Jerusalem  from  generation  to  generation. 

And  I  will  purge  them  from  the  blood 
From  which  I  had  not  purged  them. 
And  Jehovah  will  dwell  in  Zion. 

The  previous  verse  spoke  of  the  Lord's  appearing 
in  behalf  of  His  people.  His  voice  will  be  heard. 
This  great  manifestation  of  the  Lord  and  His  voice 
is  frequently  mentioned  in  prophecy.  In  Isaiah  we 
read  of  His  voice,  when  He  appeareth.  "And  the 
Lord  shall  cause  His  glorious  voice  to  be  heard,  and 
shall  show  the  lighting  down  of  His  arm,  with  the 
indignation  of  His  anger,  and  with  the  flame  of  a 
devouring  fire,  with  scattering  and  tempest  and  hail- 
stones" (Is.  xxx  130) .  When  the  trouble  will  be 
upon  the  remnant  of  Israel  then  that  voice  will  be 
heard.  "A  voice  of  noise  from  the  city,  a  voice 
of  the  Lord  that  rendereth  recompense  to  His  ene- 
mies (Is.  lxvi:6).  That  voice  is  mentioned  in  the 
Psalms.  Seven  times  we  read  of  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  in  the  xxix  Psalm;  it  is  a  Psalm  which  de- 
scribes the  deliverance  of  Israel  from  an  invading 
enemy,  the  same  northern  power,  which  we  saw 
described  in  Joel's  vision.  It  is  the  same  voice 
which  spoke  to  Saul  while  on  the  road  to  Damascus. 
And  that  voice  will  mean  in  that  coming  day  wrath 
for  the  enemies  of  God  and  blessing  for  His  people 


CHAPTER  III.  163 

Israel.  Jehovah  will  be  a  refuge  for  His  people. 
Then  they  will  come  to  that  knowledge  which  they 
so  long  refused,  that  the  delivering  Jehovah  is  their 
God.  But  the  Jehovah  who  appears  there  is  none 
other  than  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  one  who  was 
in  their  midst  and  who  was  delivered  by  the  people 
to  be  crucified.  What  a  day  it  will  be  when  "They 
will  look  upon  Him  whom  they  have  pierced  and 
mourn  for  Him"  (Zech.  xiino).  He  will  dwell  in 
Zion,  the  mountain  of  Glory.  The  Glory  from 
above  will  find  a  resting  place  on  that  holy  hill. 
There  He  will  be  enthroned  as  King  (Ps.  ii:6). 
From  there  the  glory  will  be  spread  over  all  (Isaiah 
iv:5-6;  Ps.  Ixviii:i6).  "For  the  Lord  hath  chosen 
Zion;  He  hath  desired  it  for  His  habitation.  This 
is  my  rest  forever;  here  will  I  dwell  for  I  have 
desired  it"  (Ps.  cxxxii  :I3-I4).  It  is  the  literal  Zion 
and  not  something  spiritual.  Even  good  expositors 
of  the  Bible  have  missed  the  mark.  One  good 
commentator  says:  "For  Zion  or  Jerusalem  is  of 
course  not  the  Jerusalem  of  the  earthly  Palestine, 
but  the  sanctified  and  glorified  city  of  the  living 
God,  in  which  the  Lord  will  be  eternally  united  with 
His  redeemed,  sanctified  and  glorified  church." 
Such  exposition  emanates  from  ignorance  of 
God's  purposes  with  His  earthly  people  and 
in  not  dividing  the  Word  of  Truth  rightly.  It 


164  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

is  not  at  all  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  which  is  in  view 
anywhere  in  these  Old  Testament  prophecies  but 
the  earthly  Jerusalem. 

That  city  will  at  last  become  the  "city  of  a  great 
King"  and  as  such  will  be  holy,  and  strangers,  the 
'Gentiles,  shajl  no  more  pass  through  her.  The  same 
truth  the  Lord  uttered  when  He  said  "Jerusalem 
shall  be  trodden  down  by  the  Gentiles  until  the  times 
of  the  Gentiles  are  fulfilled." 

Elsewhere  we  read  the  same  facts  concerning  the 
holiness  of  Jerusalem  in  that  day.  We  call  atten- 
tion to  Zechariah  xiv  120-21 : 

In  that  day  shall  there  be  upon  the  bells  of  the  horses, 
holiness  unto  the  Lord;  and  the  pots  in  the  Lord's  house 
shall  be  like  the  bowls  before  the  alter.  Yea,  every  pot 
in  Jerusalem  and  in  Judah  shall  be  holiness  unto  the  Lord 
of  hosts:  and  all  they  that  sacrifice  shall  come  and  take 
of  them,  and  seethe  therein:  and  in  that  day  there  shall 
be  no  more  the  Canaanite  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  of 
hosts. 

"That  day"  is  the  day  when  the  Lord's  voice  will 
be  heard,  when  He  arises  and  has  mercy  on  Zion. 
But  more  than  that  will  take  place  in  the  day  the 
Lord  appears  to  reveal  His  Glory.  The  mountains 
shall  drop  down  new  wine,  the  hills  flow  with  milk 
and  the  river  beds  of  Judah  shall  be  full  with  water. 
There  is  no  need  of  spiritualizing  these  words  and 
make  spiritual  blessings  out  of  it.  That  great  spiri- 


CHAPTER  III.  165 

tual  blessings  will  then  flow  forth  and  be  poured  out 
upon  the  remnant  of  His  people  is  true;  but  the 
prediction  here  rather  points  to  the  blessings,  which 
the  land  will  receive. 

The  numerous  prophecies  given  by  the  other 
prophets  predicting  a  wonderful  state  of  fertility, 
great  changes  in  the  physical  conditions  we  cannot 
all  quote  here.  Amos,  for  instance,  predicts  in  Je- 
hovah's name,  "Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the 
Lord,  that  the  plowman  shall  overtake  the  reaper, 
and  the  treader  of  grapes,  him  that  soweth  the  seed ; 
and  the  mountains  shall  drop  sweet  wine  and  all  the 
hills  shall  melt"  (Amos.  ix:i3).  It  will  be  the  time 
of  restitution  of  all  things,  as  Peter  calls  this  coming, 
blessed  age,  when  he  spoke  to  the  Jews  in  Jerusalem. 
That  the  prophecy  here  in  Joel  refers  exclusively  to 
Israel's  land  is  obvious.  Other  prophecies,  however, 
show  that  the  whole  earth  will  share  in  these  bless- 
ings. What  a  change  that  will  be  when  the  now 
barren  hills  and  mountains  flow  down  with  new 
wine  and  when  the  dried  up  river  beds  are  filled  with 
water.  Once  more  that  land  will  be  literally  flow- 
ing with  milk  and  honey.  But  there  is  also  a  special 
fountain  mentioned. 

"And  a   fountain  shall  come   forth   from  the  house  of 
Jehovah, 
"And  shall  water  the  valley  of  Shittim." 


166  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

This  fountain,  sending  forth  a  life  giving  stream 
is  not  mentioned  by  Joel  exclusively.  Ezekiel  had  a 
great  vision  in  connection  with  the  marvelous  mil- 
lennial temple,  which  will  some  day  stand  in  Jeru- 
salem. 

Afterward  he  brought  me  again  unto  the  door  of  the 
house;  and,  behold,  waters  issued  out  from  under  the 
threshold  of  the  house  eastward:  for  the  forefront  of 
the  house  stood  toward  the  east,  and  the  waters  came 
down  from  the  right  side  of  the  house,  at  the  south  side 
of  the  altar.  Then  brought  he  me  out  of  the  way  of  the 
gate  northward,  and  led  me  about  the  way  without  unto 
the  outer  gate  by  the  way  that  looketh  eastward;  and,  be- 
hold, there  ran  out  waters  on  the  right  side  (Ez.  xlvii:i,2). 

And  after  the  Prophet  had  measured  the  waters 
and  found  them  "waters  to  swim  in,  a  river  that 
could  not  be  passed  over,"  he  heard  that  these 
waters  were  for  healing. 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  every  thing  that  liveth, 
which  moveth,  whithersoever  the  rivers  shall  come,  shall 
live:  and  there  shall  be  a  very  great  multitude  of  fish,  be- 
cause these  waters  shall  come  thither :  for  they  shall  be 
healed;  and  every  thing  shall  live  whither  the  river  cometh 
(verse  9). 

In  the  Prophet  Zechariah,  in  the  last  chapter  a 
similar  prophecy  is  found. 


CHAPTER  III.  167 

And  it  shall  be  in  that  day,  that  living  waters  shall  go 
out  from  Jerusalem;  half  of  them  toward  the  former  sea, 
and  half  of  them  toward  the  hinder  sea;  in  summer  and 
in  winter  shall  it  be  (Zech.  xiv:8). 

Three  prophets  witness  to  this  fountain,  Joel, 
Ezekiel  and  Zechariah.  It  is  interesting  that  a 
fountain  from  beneath  the  Temple  used  to  supply 
the  city  with  water.  We  quote  from  a  reliable 
source : 

"The  existence  of  a  large  supply  of  water  under  the 
Temple  is  beyond  all  question.  While  the  Temple  was 
still  standing,  mention  is  made  of  an  ever-flowing  foun- 
tain under  it,  as  well  as  pools  and  cisterns  for  preserving 
rain-water.  One  well  acquainted  with  the  localities  says, 
'The  pavements  had  slopes  for  the  sake  of  a  flush  of  water 
in  order  to  cleanse  away  the  blood  from  the  victims.  For 
on  festival  occasions  many  thousands  of  animals  were 
slain.  But  of  water  there  was  an  unfailing  supply,  a 
copious  and  natural  fountain  within  gushing  over;  and 
there  being  moreover  wonderful  underground  receptacles, 
in  the  substructure  of  the  temple,  and  each  of  these  having 
numerous  pipes,  the  several  streams  inter-communicating.' 
The  same  writer  relates  that,  more  than  half  a  mile  from 
the  city,  he  was  told  to  stoop  down,  and  heard  the  sound 
of  gushing  waters  underground.  The  natural  fountain, 
then,  beneath  the  Temple,  was  doubtless  augmented  by 
waters  brought  from  a  distance,  as  required  by  the  "diverse 
washings"  of  the  priests,  and  to  carry  off  the  blood  of 
the  victims.  Whencesoever  this  water  was  supplied,  it 
furnished  Jerusalem  with  an  abundant  supply  of  water." 


168  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

What  a  fountain  of  living  and  lifegivmg  water 
this  will  be  which  shall  gush  forth  again  from  the 
house  of  Jehovah  !  Even  the  valley  of  Shittim,  be- 
yond the  Dead  Sea,  will  be  reached  and  will  be 
watered  by  the  fountain. 

There  is  no  reason  why  the  literalness  of  all  this 
should  be  doubted.  That  a  stream  of  spiritual  bles- 
sing will  also  go  forth  from  Jerusalem  unto  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  is  not  less  true. 

The  iQth  verse  presents  a  difficulty.  It  speaks  of 
judgment  to  fall  upon  Egypt.  They  shed  innocent 
blood  in  their  land,  they  did  violence  against  the 
children  of  Judah.  Desolation  is  to  come  upon 
Egypt  and  Edom.  But  in  Isaiah  xix  we  read: 

In  that  day  shall  Israel  he  the  third  with  Egypt  and 
with  Assyria,  even  a  blessing  in  the  midst  of  the  land: 

Whom  the  Lord  of  hosts  shall  bless,  saying,  Blessed  be 
Egypt  my  people,  and  Assyria  the  work  of  my  hands,  and 
Israel  mine  inheritance  (Verses  24,  25). 

According  to  this  Egypt  is  to  have  a  great  bless- 
ing and  be  the  people  of  God  and  share  a  portion 
with  Israel.  But  here  in  Joel  the  prediction  de- 
clares that  Egypt  is  to  be  a  desolation.  Some  have 
therefore  claimed  that  there  is  a  glaring  contradic- 
tion between  these  two  statements.  But  the  context 
in  Isaiah  xix  solves  the  difficulty.  In  the  22d  verse 
we  find  the  following  prediction : 


CHAPTER  III.  169 

And  the  Lord  shall  smite  Egypt:  He  shall  smite  and 
heal  it:  and  they  shall  return  even  to  the  Lord,  and  he 
shall  be  intreated  of  them,  and  shall  heal  them. 

When  the  Lord  appears  His  hand  will  rest  upon 
Egypt  in  judgment.  He  will  smite  Egypt.  But 
Egypt  will  cry  out  of  that  judgment  when  desola- 
tion rests  upon  the  land  and  return  to  the  Lord  and 
He  in  His  infinite  mercy  will  heal  them.  Egypt  will 
be  lifted  out  of  the  dust  and  receive  a  place  of 
blessing  only  second  to  that  which  Israel  enjoys. 
'Mercy  shall  then  rejoice  over  judgment  and  in 
wrath  the  Lord  will  remember  mercy.  What  a 
miracle  of  mercy  that  will  be !  A  nation  so  debased 
as  Egypt,  with  such  a  record  of  evil  against  God's 
people  lifted  out  of  desolation  and  judgment  into  a 
place  of  blessing.  "Blessed  be  Egypt  my  people" 
shall  it  then  be  said;  in  the  seed  of  Abraham  even 
this  repenting  nation  will  be  blessed.  God  is  ever 
true  to  His  promises. 

Joel  speaks  only  of  the  judgment  which  will  fall 
upon  Egypt  in  that  day.  Isaiah  also  tells  of  judg- 
ment, but  through  him  we  learn  that  Egypt  will  turn 
to  the  Lord  and  the  Lord  will  graciously  heal 
Egypt.  Judah  will  abide  forever.  His  people  will 
be  cleansed.  Jehovah,  our  ever  blessed  Lord,  will 
dwell  in  Zion.  The  happy  and  glorious  state  of  the 
land  and  the  whole  earth  during  the  millennium  is 


170  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

thus  tersely  stated.  For  when  He  reigns  there  will 
be  righteousness  and  peace;  glory  will  cover  the 
earth  as  the  waters  cover  the  deep.  Thus  ends  the 
great  vision  of  Joel,  the  son  of  Pethuel.  May  the 
eye  of  faith  behold  these  blessed  revelations  and 
may  we  live  in  anticipation  of  what  is  soon  to  be. 


APPENDIX  A. 

REASONS  FOR  THE  EARLY  DATE  OF  JOEL. 

One  of  the  recent  commentators  of  the  Book  of  Joel* 
gives  seven  reasons  for  making  Joel  the  oldest  of  the 
Prophets. 

1.  Joel    charges    the    Philistines    with    having    invaded 
Judah,  captured  the  inhabitants,  and  sold  them  as  slaves. 
Now  according  to  2  Chron.  xxi  :io,  this  happened  under 
Joram,  B.  C.  889-883.     And  they  suffered  the  punishment 
predicted  for  their  crime,  under  Uzziah,  2  Chron.  xxvi  :6. 
Hence  Joel  could  not  have  written  this  book  before  B.  C. 
889,  nor  later  than  732. 

2.  The  Phoenicians,  i.  e.,  those  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  who 
in   the  days  of  David  and  Solomon  were  the   allies,  had 
in  later  times   become  the   enemies   of  Judah.     They  too 
had  been  guilty  of  selling  Jewish  prisoners  to  the  Greci- 
ans.     Joel    predicts    that    they    also    shall    be    punished 
for    this    crime, — a    prediction    fulfilled    in    the    time    of 
Uzziah,  B.  C.  811-759.     This  proves  that  Joel  must  have 
prophesied  before  the  days  of  Uzziah. 

3.  The   Edomites    (iiiag),   are  ranked  among  the   ene- 
mies of  Judah.     They  came  from  the  same  stock  as  the 
Jews,  and  on  account  of  their  sin  against  their  brethren, 
their  country  was  to  become  a  perpetual  desolation.    From 


*Dr.  August  Wunsche :  Die  Weissagungen  des  Propheten 
Joel.    Leipzig,  1872. 


172  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

2  Kings  viii:20,  comp.  with  2  Chron.  xxi:8,  we  learn  that 
they  became  independent  of  Judah  in  the  time  of  Joram, 
B.  C.  889-883.  They  were  again  subdued,  and  their  capital 
city  Petra  captured,  B.  C.  838-811,  though  the  southern 
and  eastern  parts  of  their  territory  were  not  conquered 
until  the  reign  of  Uzziah,  about  B.  C.  830.  The  prophet 
must  have  exercised  his  ministry,  therefore,  prior  to  the 
latter  date. 

4.  The  fact  that  no  mention  is  made  of  the  invasion  by 
the  Syrians  of  Damascus,  proves  that  Joel  was  one  of  the 
early  prophets.     This  occurred  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
reign  of  Joash,  B.  C.  850-840. 

5.  The  high  antiquity  of  Joel  is  proved  by  the  fact  that 
he  makes  no  reference  to  the  Assyrian  invasion  of  the  two 
Jewish  kingdoms  in  B.  C  790.    On  the  other  hand,  Amos 
clearly  alludes  to  it  (vi:i4). 

6.  Another  proof  is  derived  from  the  relation  between 
Joel  and  Amos.    The  latter  was  certainly  well  acquainted 
with  the  writings  of  the  former. 

7.  The  mention  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  is  a  cir- 
cumstance leading  to  the  same  conclusion.     It  took  this 
name    from    the    memorable    victory    there    gained    over 
Moab  and  Ammon.       The  way  in  which  Joel  refers  to 
it  shows  that  this  event  must  have  been  a  comparatively 
recent  one,  and  that  the  memory  of  it  was  still  fresh. 

On  these  grounds  we  conclude  that  in  fixing  the  time 
of  this  prophet,  we  cannot  take  for  our  terminus  a  quo 
an  earlier  date  than  B.  C.  890,  nor  for  our  terminus  ad 
quern  a  later  one  than  840.  It  most  probably  falls  between 
B.  C.  860-850.  Joel  therefore  is  the  oldest  of  the  Minor 
Prophets. 


APPENDIX  B. 

THE  METAMORPHOSIS  OF  THE  LOCUST. 
From  Dr.  A.  Munro,  "The  Locust  Plague." 

We  have  now  to  consider  the  Locust  in  its  larval  stage, 
in  which  it  is  found  to  be  most  destructive  to  the  crops 
over  which  it  passes.  As  the  larva  undergoes  certain 
changes  or  moults,  it  will  be  better  to  follow  the  natural 
order  or  course  of  events.  The  metamorphosis  is  not 
complete,  or,  as  it  is  termed,  it  is  hemimetabolic.  From 
the  birth  or  exit  from  the  nest  of  eggs  till  it  assumes 
the  state  of  being  of  a  fully  fledged  flying  locust  a  period 
of  seven  or  eight  weeks  elapses.  I  am  not  certain  that  the 
exact  time  to  a  day  has  been  annotated  or  fixed  by  any 
observer  as  to  when  the  various  stages  end,  and  perhaps 
some  variation  may  prevail.  At  the  same  time,  it  will 
be  found  convenient  to  attend  to  the  prominent  features 
connected  with  its  several  stages  at  this  time.  It  is  not 
till  from  fifteen  or  twenty  days  after  birth  that  the  very 
first  appearance  of  wings  can  be  traced,  and  this  is  done 
then  only  in  the  form  of  tiny  scales  on  the  trunk  or 
thora.  The  stages  through  which  it  passes  in  the  larval 
condition  are  manifested  by  a  growth  and  the  distinct 
stripping  off  of  its  outer  layer  or  skin  at  certain  well- 
marked  periods,  somewhat  after  the  fashion  that  the  gloves 
are  removed  from  the  hand.  As  the  animal  increases  in 
size  you  may,  towards  the  latter  portion  of  its  larval  life, 


174  THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

forcibly  remove  the  external  covering  and  find  the  forma- 
tion of  the  wings  underneath. 

Appearance  in  larval  form. — When  the  tiny  creature 
issues  from  its  nest  it  is  of  a  greenish-white  or  creamy 
color,  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  or  seven  millimetres 
long,  and  when  it  throws  off  its  covering,  which  it  sets 
about  doing  at  once,  it  soon  begins  to  move  and  creep. 
The  very  dust  of  the  ground,  which  was  so  still  before, 
now  seems  to  waken  into  life  from  the  vast  multitude  that 
exists  of  the  tiny  creatures.  The  number  of  these  small 
forms  seems  infinite.  In  a  day  or  two,  according  to  the 
state  of  the  weather,  the  whiteness  disappears,  they  be- 
come mottled,  and  the  heat  of  the  sun  turns  the  color 
gradually  into  a  homogeneous  blackish  brown  or  dark 
hue.  You  find  the  chief  rudimentary  parts  of  the  body 
of  the  full-grown  locust  there,  less  the  wings,  even  in  this 
early  stage. 

Early  movements. — They  begin  to  move  by  a  pro- 
cess of  twisting  or  rolling  over  one  another,  so  that  for 
the  first  few  days  they  received  the  name  of  "twisters." 
At  night  they  gather  themselves  into  companies,  or  heaps, 
or  bunches  so  as  to  keep  themselves  warm,  and  thus  rest 
for  the  night.  They  early  show  their  gregarious  nature. 
During  this  initiatory  period,  if  there  is  plenty  of  pasture 
about  for  them  to  eat,  they  do  not  march  far  away;  if 
they  do,  it  is  en  masse;  but  they  spread  out  selecting  warm 
and  sunny  places,  and  eat  and  grow,  keeping  pretty  well  in 
the  vicinity  of  their  birthplace.  Within  eight  or  ten  days 
they  can  jump  about  4  or  6  inches,  and  so  they  evince 
considerable  progress.  Their  eating  and  movable  appara- 
tuses show  evident  signs  of  rapid  development. 


APPENDIX   B.  175 

"Grasshopper"  stage. — In  the  first  three  or  four 
weeks,  until  they  cast  off  their  second  or  third  skin  or 
covering,  they  keep  pretty  near  to  the  pastures  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  their  birthplace,  and  do  not  show  till  then  any 
desire  to  go  farther  afield,  if  they  have  plenty  to  eat;  but, 
if  not,  they  move  on  en  masse,  and  not  in  open  file,  like 
a  semi-liquid  stream,  till  they  find  food.  In  the  United 
States  of  America  the  locust  at  the  stage  of  which  we 
are  now  speaking  (i.  e.,  at  the  third  or  fourth  week)  re- 
ceives the  name  of  grasshopper  on  account  of  its  hopping 
or  jumping  qualifications,  the  legs  being  then  more  adapted 
for  hopping  or  jumping  than  those  of  the  wandering  lo- 
cust. But  it  is  not  the  technical  grasshopper,  as  we  are 
accustomed  to  view  that  insect. 

Orderly  instincts. — At  the  age  of  three  to  four  weeks 
a  new  characteristic  makes  its  appearance.  A  desire  to 
explore  manifests  itself,  and  in  a  surprising  manner.  The 
whole  company  moves  in  a  body  in  one  general  direction, 
and  more  or  less  in  a  straight  line,  which  is  a  matter 
worthy  of  particular  attention,  as  if  by  one  common  in- 
stinct, without  apparently  having  any  recognized  leader  or 
commander.  "The  locusts  have  no  king,  yet  go  they  forth 
all  of  them  by  bands."  Now,  they  thin  off  or  spread  them- 
selves out,  eating  everything  that  comes  in  their  way — 
wheat  (if  sufficiently  young  and  tender),  maize  (even  if 
strong  and  old),  corn,  sugar-cane,  linseed,  alfalfa  (lu- 
cerne), pasture  of  all  kinds,  vegetables  of  all  kinds  (toma- 
toes and  celery)  and  all  garden  produce,  potatoes  (ordi- 
nary and  sweet),  the  leaves  and  even  sometimes  the  bark 
of  the  trees  (with  one  or  two  exceptions) — the  fruit  of 
course  is  lost  for  the  season,  sometimes  causing  the  ruin 
of  the  trees;  orange,  willow,  poplar,  palm,  banana,  peach, 


i;6  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

pear,  plum,  vine,  acacias,  roses,  etc.,  are  stripped,  with  the 
exception  of  the  gum  and  paradise  trees,  which  seem  to 
be  poisonous  to  them.  They  make  everything  "clean  bare" ; 
sometimes  they  will  enter  houses  and  eat  the  very  clothes 
and  curtains  at  the  windows.  Scarcely  anything  comes 
amiss  to  their  ravenous  appetites  when  sufficiently  fam- 
ished— even  dry  lint  on  used-up  fences,  planks,  dry  leaves, 
paper  (entire  books),  cotton,  woolen  fabrics,  wool  on  the 
sheep.  Further,  if  compelled  by  hunger,  they  have  been 
known  to  eat  dry  animal  substances,  and  even  cannibalism 
as  a  resource  when  all  other  food  fails.  They  eat  their 
own  weak  ones. 

Preferences  in  food. — But  if  one  were  to  specialize 
in  regard  to  the  food  the  locusts  particularly  like  or  dis- 
like, it  may  be  said  few  things  come  amiss  to  them,  on 
the  one  hand ;  and,  on  the  other,  where  food  is  more  plen- 
tiful or  abundant,  they  are  somewhat  fastidious  or  capric- 
ious. Thus,  in  one  case,  they  do  not  refuse  to  eat  their 
own  diseased  or  weak  kind,  and  even  feed  on  dead 
animals;  while,  in  the  other,  they  pass  by  sweet  stuffs, 
and  seem  to  refer  the  bitter,  acrid  vegetables  and  plants. 
Natural  grasses  are  not  appreciated  so  much  as  cultivated 
plants — grains  and  cultivated  pastures  suffer  first  and 
chiefly!  They  are  not  specially  fond  of  melons,  pump- 
kins, or  the  poisonous  weed  Mio-mio.  When  wheat  is 
pretty  far  advanced,  they  pass  it  by — not  so  with  mealies, 
tobacco,  etc.  Indeed,  most  vegetables  and  all  fruit  and 
garden  plants  they  eat  with  avidity. 

I  have  seen  fields  of  pasture  over  which  this  scourge 
passed,  and  there  was  not  a  blade  left,  not  even  for  a 
goat  to  nip.  The  surface  there  was  "desolate,"  and  quite 
black-colored. 


APPENDIX   B.  177 

Destructive  powers  universal  and  unsparing. — It  is 
a  curious  phenomenon  to  see  the  trees  stripped  in  one 
day  of  their  foliage  just  in  the  season  of  the  year  when 
they  ought  to  be  covered  with  leaves  and  fruit.  In  a 
month  or  two  after  being  stripped  bare  by  the  locusts, 
young  leaves  again  sprout  out;  but  in  trees  such  as  the 
orange  a  visitation  like  that  described  destroys  the  fruit 
for  two  seasons,  and  not  unfrequently  the  trees  are  perma- 
nently injured.  Thus  in  one  district*  the  account  of  the 
plague  runs: — The  locusts  have  devoured  everything — 
grapes,  wheat,  beans,  and  potatoes — the  running  stream  is 
infested,  and  the  loss  is  calculated  at  £1,000,000  sterling. 
Now  this  took  place  in  a  vine-growing  district,  so  that 
nothing  seems  to  escape  them.  Other  instances  can  be 
cited  illustrative  of  the  universality  of  the  destroying 
power,  but  it  is  unnecessary. 

Appearance  on  the  march. — When  these  hoppers  or 
jumpers  are  on  the  "march,"  they  sometimes  appear  so  de- 
termined and  bent  on  their  fearful  execution  of  their  work 
that  they  resemble  in  certain  aspects  and  have  got  the 
name  of  an  "army  on  the  march."  They  move  in  open  file, 
and  carry  themselves  in  a  proud,  haughty  way,  with  heads 
high  up  and  fixed.  It  is  rather  beautiful  and  interesting 
to  see  them  "on  the  march,"  if  we  only  divest  ourselves 
for  the  moment  of  the  idea  of  their  devastating  object. 
In  this  stage  they  can  both  jump  as  well  as  walk,  but  walk- 
ing is  the  feature.  If  left  alone,  they  walk  (hence  "voet- 
gangers"  in  Dutch)  ;  but  if  you  approach  them  or  meddle 
with  them  they  jump.  They  can  hop  about  a  foot  or  so 
in  height,  and  of  course  the  older  and  stronger  they  be- 


*In  South  Africa. 


i;8  THE  BOOK  OF  JOEL. 

come,  they  acquire  more  strength  and  can  leap  better.  The 
comparatively  slender  hind  legs  of  our  voetgangers  do  not 
tend  to  good  jumping;  but  these  acquire  more  and  more 
strength,  so  that  the  adult  can  jump  six  or  more  feet. 

Marching  stage  the  most  deadly. — It  is  in  this  march- 
ing stage  that  they  do  enormous  damage,  and  eat  every 
edible  thing  in  their  path,  and  completely  destroy  the  work 
of  the  husbandman.  They  are  not  content  with  levying 
toll  merely,  but  they  will  have  all,  and  will  leave  nothing 
behind  but  desolation.  They  therefore  are  unlike  the  fly- 
ing company  of  locusts,  which  only  levy  toll  here  and 
there;  but  these  when  they  pass  leave  nothing. 

No  fears  deter. — The  whole  of  the  company  begin  to 
walk  at  the  same  time,  as  if  by  order;  the  head  is  kept 
erect,  and  the  neck  is  as  if  stiffened.  They  go  straight  on, 
irrespective  of  danger;  and  though  they  manifest  a  de- 
cided power  sometimes  to  select  a  slightly  different  course, 
yet  they  are  not  easily  turned  from  their  course, 
and  being  so  numerous  and  closely  phalanxed  nothing 
escapes  them.  The  sight  of  this  "army"  is  a  very  impress- 
ive one,  and  once  seen  will  never  be  forgotten.  In  some 
respects  it  is  an  awful  sight;  the  spectacle  strikes  you 
with  pity  and  sorrow  to  see  at  once  before  you  that  the 
toil  and  the  labor  for  the  season,  or  indeed  the  year,  is 
lost 


INDEX  OF  SCRIPTURE  PASSAGES. 


Page 

Genesis    1:2    142 

xxxvii:34    109 

Exodus   ix:3 109 

x   30,  88 

xii:29   70 

xv   88 

xxxii:12-14     110 

xxxiv:9    110 

xxxvi:5-9    109 

Numbers   x:l-2 86 

xi:29    136 

xiii     33 

Levit.  xxvi:4    126 

Deut.  iv:ll   88 

xi:14     126 

xii:7    68 

xvi:10-ll    68 

xxiv:5    112 

xxviii:13,  35     38,  119 

xxx:l-4   108 

xxxii:l-7     30 

xxxii:35-42     38,115,   122 

xxxii:43 117,  123 

Joshua   vii:6    109 

1  Sam.  viii:2   28 

2  Sam.   iii:31 109 

xxiv:16    110 

1  Kings  viii:33-36 126 

xxi:27  109 

2  Kings  lx:2 147 

xxii:ll          109 


Page 

1  Chronicles  xxiv:16 1 

2  Chronicles  xx 147 

xxix:12    28 

Ezra  ix:3  109 

Job    ii:12 109 

Psalm    ii:l-5     154 

ii:6    163 

xviii:ll    89 

xxix    162 

xliv:13-14   113 

xlix:2     * 30 

lxviii:16    163 

lxxix:l-3     148 

lxxix:9-10     114 

lxxx:8-15    49 

lxxxiii:l-6    148,  154 

cii:16    116 

cvi:41  113 

cxv:2    114 

cxxxii:13-14     163 

Isaiah  i:2  30 

ii:2-26    64 

iii:26     53 

iv:5-6    163 

v:2-6     42,  50 

v:10-15   121 

v:8-23     60 

viii-8  45,  116 

x:5-6   96,  97,  102 

x:10-15    103,  121 

x:21-22    .                    109 


i8o 


THE   BOOK  OF  JOEL. 


Page 

Isaiah  x:34  96 

xi:xii    64 

xiii:13   64,  102 

xiv:25    96,  115 

xix:24-16    168 

Xxiv:7-9    43 

xxiv:19-23  102,   115 

xxlv:4    55 

xxiv-xxvii    64 

xxvii:l3   87 

xxviii:7    43 

xxix:l-7   60,97,148,154 

xxx:30   162 

xxx:33    94 

xxxii:16    115,   137 

xxxiv:l-3    148,  154 

xxxv:5-6  115 

xxxiv-xxxvii     115 

xxxiv-xxxv    64 

xxxvii:3*-38    76 

xliv:3-4  120,  139 

xlvii:13    117 

li:2-4    98,  116,  117 

liii:12    138 

Hv:6   52,  53 

lvi:6    162 

lviii:8-14    115 

lix:19-21    139 

lx:2    89 

Ixi   64 

lxii:4-5    53 

lxil:13  117 

lxlll:12-lxiv     115 

lxvl:12    159 

lxvl:23     159 

Jeremiah  11:12  30 

111:5  ....  ,.126 


Page 

Jeremiah  iv:27-28 65 

x:10  102 

xx:3  39 

xxv:13-17  148 

xxviii:25-26  115 

xxx:8-9  107 

xxx:18-24  64 

xxxv:30-33  64 

li:63  159 

Ezekel  xx:38  106 

xxx:l-13  60 

xxxii:7-8 102 

xxxvi:15  120 

xxxvi:27-28  140 

xxxvi:35  98 

xxxvii:14  140 

xxxvii:xlviii  64,  154 

xxxix:29  140 

xlv:21  39 

xlvii:l-9  166 

Daniel  ii 66 

ii:36-38  74 

ii:44-45  74 

vii:l-4  46 

vii:7  47 

vii:13-14  74 

vii:23-27  94 

ix:27  94 

xi:45  95 

Hosea  ii:16  52 

ii:21-22  119 

iii:4  55 

iv:l  30 

xiv:4-7  160 

v:15  107 

xl:9-ll  $6 

Joel  1   27-73 


INDEX  OF  SCRIPTURE  PASSAGES 


181 


Page 

Joel  1! 74-143 

Hi    144-170 

Amos  1:2    €5 

iii:l     30 

iv:9   32 

vi:l-6     42,60 

viii:10-12    69 

lx:13-15   .  .65,  69,  119,  160,  165 

Obadiah  15   65 

Jonah  iii:7    70 

Micah  1:1  27 

iv:3-4    51 

vi:15  65 

vii:7   72 

vii:19-20    160 

Habakkuk    1:2 71 

i:6,  12    103 

ii:3    63 

11:6-19    60 

ill    66 

111:16-19   71 

Zephaniah  1:1   27 

1:14-18    66,  89 

H,  ill  66,  160 

Haggai  11:6  158 

11:21-23    161 

Zech.   1:14-15    148 

11:11    143 

111:10   51 

lx:l   27 

xii:2-3    148 

xli:19-14    112 

xll-xiv 66 

xiv:3-4    104,116,148 

xlv:8    167 

zlv:4-10  .  .    99 


Page 

Zech.   xiv:20-21   164 

Malachi  1:1  27 

iii:l-3  66 

111:7   108 

111:17    72 

iv:l-3    66 

lv:5-6    84 

Matthew  ix:41 60 

xiii:39    155 

xxi:17-21,33    50 

xxiv:19    60 

xxiv:21 75,  149 

xxiv:29   102,  133,  158 

xxlx:32    50 

Luke  xiii:6-9   50 

John  v:22    67 

xi:51    128 

Acts  11:16   134 

Acts  xvii:36   37 

Rom.  viil:19-23   70 

lx:4 135 

xi:12-15  141 

xi:26     139 

xi:29  122 

2  Thess.  11:3-12 125 

1  Peter    1:20-21 20 

2  Peter  1:21   28 

Hebrews  1:1 27 

x:25    64 

xil:26    158 

Revelation  xili  :13 60 

ix:12,  14   60 

xii:12    60 

xlli:l    94 

xlv:14-20    157 

Zlx:19  ..  ..154 


TOPICAL   INDEX. 


Page 

Angels,  the  reapers 155 

Animal   Creation,    Suffer- 
ing of   20 

Antichrist    94 

Army,    Northern    102 

Appendix  A   171 

do        B 173 

Apocalyptic    Judgments..  156 
Assyrian     ...25,  95,  97,  101,  120 

Assyrian  Invasion   25,  76 

Babylon,   Return  from...  120 
Babylon,   Judgment   of...  159 

Beast,    First    94 

Belshazzar    46 

Beaufort,    Captain    35 

Beulah  52 

Calamity,    The    last 100 

Captivity  ended  146 

Confederacies  of  Nations 

153-154 

Darby,  J.  N.   20 

Day  of  the  Lord  59,  67,  79,  116 

Day  of  Christ  67 

Days  of  Messiah   23 

Dream    Image    39 

Drink,   Statistics   44 

Drunkenness     42,  43 

Earliest  Prophet    20 

Earthly    Blessings    118 

Earth  Trembling   102 

Edtn,  G*rden  of 75 


Page 

Egypt,  Judgments  upon..     31 
Egypt  blest  with  Israel..  169 

Famine    68 

Fertility  of  the  Land 165 

Fig  tree   48 

Fountain  of  Water 167 

Gentiles,  Times  of 41 

Gog    and    Magog 22 

Hephzibah    52 

Higher    Critics    30,  63 

Invader,   End   of    121 

Jacob's  Trouble   106 

James,   Epistle  of 127 

Jealousy   of  Jehovah 116 

Jehoshaphat,     the     valley 

of  148 

Jerusalem,   Cup  of  trem- 
bling    104 

Jerusalem,    Invasion    of..     40 
Jerusalem,     Siege     under 

Titus   » 149 

Jews,  Belief  of  114 

Jews,   Orthodox    106 

Joel,  His  Person   3 

Joel,  Time  of  his  Proph- 
ecy           4 

Joel,    Division    of    Book..       7 

Joel,   His   Prayer ;     72 

Joas   4 

Josephus    54,  149 

Lamentations  of  Priests.     67 


TOPICAL  INDEX 


183 


Page 

Lions'    teeth    45 

Locusts 5,21,23,24,25 

Plague  of   31 

Etymology  of  the  word    32 

Four   Stages    33 

In  South  Africa 33 

In  Cyprus    33 

Marching    36 

Flying    36 

Like   an   army    37 

Their    appearance 38 

My  Great  Army   39,  103 

Types   of   nations 115 

Micah's  Prayer 72 

Manifestation      of      the 

Lord    116 

Marriage   relation   of   Is- 
rael        52 

Munro,    A.,    on    the    Lo- 
custs         31 

Millennium    145,  154 

Nebuchadnezzar    39 

Northerner    144 

Palestine,    Conditions   of.     98 

Palestine,  Like  Eden 98 

Pentecost     105 

Pentecost,  Not  latter  rain 

124,  131 

Pethuel     3 

Peter    quoting    Joel 134 

Prayer  of  Joel    72 

Prayer  of  Remnant 48 

Prince    of    Peace 99 

Rain,    Early    and    latter 

123-125 

Reign  of  Righteousness..  170 


Page 
Remnant,  God  fearing...  84 

Repentance  105 

Roman  Empire  40 

Roman  Empire,  Head  of.  94 

Russia  98,  149 

Salvation  of  the  Jews 143 

Samuel  4 

Satan,  Imitating  of 99 

Sennacherib  96 

Seven  last  years 84 

Seventy  weeks 80-83 

Shaddai  10 

Sin  of  the  nations 148 

Spirit,  Outpouring  o  f 

the  135-144 

Sun  hidden 38 

Sun  darkened  158 

Sun  of  Righteousness...  161 

Theophany  87 

Translation  10 

Tribulation,  the  Great 

72,  107 

Trumpets  87 

Tyre  151 

Vine  49,  50 

Voice  of  the  Lord 162 

Warfare.  The  great 153 

Wiinsche,  A 6 

Worldpowers,  Four 39 

Young  Turk  Movement 

85,  122 

Zechariah's  Four  Horns.  40 

Zion  5 

Zion,  Mount  of  Glory 163 

Zionism  ID,  109 


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